Archive · 29 Dec 2025
Ancient Bird Found with 800 Stones in Throat
Scientists found a very old bird fossil with over 800 tiny stones in its throat.
This bird lived a long, long time ago, about 120 million years.
They named it Chromeornis funkyi.
The bird swallowed so many stones that it couldn't breathe and died.
Scientists think the bird might have been sick and ate the stones by mistake.
They found the fossil in a museum in China.
The stones were not just rocks but also tiny clay balls.
This is the first time they have seen so many stones in a bird's throat.
They will write about this discovery in a science paper.
A 120-million-year-old bird fossil, Chromeornis funkyi, was found with 800 stones in its throat.
The bird died from suffocation due to the stones lodged in its oesophagus.
Scientists believe the bird was likely sick and ate the stones by mistake.
The fossil was discovered at the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature in China.
This is the first time such a large number of stones has been found in a bird's throat.
- Who
- Chromeornis funkyi, an ancient bird species
- What
- A fossil of an ancient bird with 800 stones in its throat
- When
- The bird lived 120 million years ago
- Where
- The fossil was discovered at the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature in China
- Why
- The bird likely ate the stones due to illness and died from suffocation
- Species Name
- Chromeornis funkyi
- Age
- 120 million years old
- Discovery Location
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, China
- Number of Stones
- 800
- Cause of Death
- Suffocation from swallowed stones
- Research Team Lead
- Jingmai O’Connor
- Publication
- Palaeontologia Electronica