Titanis, the "Titan," was named for giant Greek gods that preceded the Olympians; a fitting title for a bird this immense. Titanis stood at just under two meters tall, taller than the average human but shorter than other "terror birds" like its relative Phorusrhacos. However, despite its "small" stature, Titanis was more heavily built, with a shorter but thicker neck. It was made for speed; its two long, muscular legs more than made up for the fact that it was completely flightless. In fact, it had the smallest of any phorusrhacid, but that didn't stop it from being a fearsome predator. Titanis lived in North America for over three million years, lasting from the Blancan to the Gelasian stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. It is the only known terror bird to leave South America, migrating north to roam the plains of North America. Likely a carnivore, Titanis was always in search of prey. It was a devastating hunter; some experts theorize that it used its powerful head to smash small prey on the ground until they died, similar to how seriemas kill their prey. For larger prey, it's axe-like beak had the potential to viciously rip apart chunks of flesh.