Elephant bird to carry off large primates; today, lemurs still retain a fear of aerial predators such as these. Another might be the perception of ratites retaining neotenic features and thus being mistaken for enormous chicks of a presumably more massive bird. The ancient Malagasy name for the bird is vorompatra, meaning "bird of the Ampatres". The Ampatres are today known as the Androy region of southern Madagascar. Like the ostrich, rhea, cassowary, emu, kiwi and extinct moa, "Mullerornis" and "Aepyornis" were ratites; they could not fly, and their breast bones had no keel. Because Madagascar and Africa separated before the ratite
Bird Island, Minnesota or over. This town is where the Renville County Fair is held every August. Bird Island, Minnesota Bird Island is a city on U.S. Route 212 in Renville County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,042 at the 2010 census. Bird Island was platted in 1878, and named for a nearby bird sanctuary in a marsh. After the installation of ditches and tile, the area was converted to farmland, erasing the town's namesake. A post office has been in operation at Bird Island since 1878. Bird Island was incorporated in 1881. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city