Dino card No. 1325 of 2,027

Ornithomimus

Say it: or-NEETH-oh-MY-mus

Name means: “bird mimic”1

Ate: PlantsOstrich dinosLate Cretaceous

Ornithomimus was a fast, ostrich-like dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. It had a small toothless beak, long legs, and was covered in downy feathers. Adults even had wings on their arms, which they probably used for showing off to mates.1 2

Lived

84 to 66 million years ago6

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Alberta, Canada, and several states in the USA including Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming6 1

Food

Plants2

Length

3.8 m2

Weight

170 kg2

Height

1.2 to 1.5 m3

hip height

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How tall was it?

hip height

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 6 big dogs

as long as 4 dogs nose to tailas long as 21 bananas end to endas heavy as 34 watermelonsup to the handle of a door

How big was Ornithomimus compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Ornithomimus was one of the first feathered dinosaurs found in the Western Hemisphere. Paleontologist François Therrien discovered the feathers in 2008.2

Its brain was small and its sense of smell was poor, so it probably relied on its big eyes and good eyesight to find food and avoid danger.2

Young Ornithomimus did not have wings on their arms. Only adults grew the long, stiff feathers that formed wings, which they used for courtship displays.2

Ornithomimus could run very fast thanks to its long, powerful legs and big leg muscles. It probably escaped predators by sprinting away.2

Its fingers had long, straight claws that might have helped it grab branches or dig for food.2

The name Ornithomimus means 'bird mimic' because its feet looked a lot like a bird's feet.1

AI-made picture of Ornithomimus — An AI-made picture of how Ornithomimus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Ornithomimus

?How big was Ornithomimus?

Ornithomimus measured up to about 4 metres (13 feet) long and weighed up to 170 kilograms (375 pounds).4 5

?What did Ornithomimus eat?

Ornithomimus was probably an omnivore or plant-eater. It had a toothless beak and may have swallowed stones (gastroliths) to help grind up plants, like many birds do.1 5

?Did Ornithomimus have feathers?

Yes, Ornithomimus was covered in downy feathers. Adults also had long, stiff feathers on their arms that formed wings, used for display and courtship.1 5

?How fast could Ornithomimus run?

Ornithomimus could run very fast, probably between 30 and 60 km/h (19 to 37 mph), and maybe even up to 80 km/h (50 mph), as fast as an ostrich.5

?When did Ornithomimus live?

Ornithomimus lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 74 to 66 million years ago.4

?Where was Ornithomimus found?

Fossils of Ornithomimus have been found in Canada (especially Alberta) and the United States (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming).1 4

?Was Ornithomimus a dinosaur?

Yes, Ornithomimus was a theropod dinosaur, but it was not a meat-eater like most theropods, it had a beak and ate plants or maybe small animals.1 4

?Why did Ornithomimus have wings?

Ornithomimus used its wings for courtship displays and to signal to others, not for flying.1 5

Ask Rex about Ornithomimus

Rex only answers questions about this page. 3 questions a day.

Rex is an AI and can make mistakes. He runs on servers in the EU and questions are never saved. Never type your name or other personal things.

Myth buster

Myth: Many people think Ornithomimus was a meat-eater like most other theropod dinosaurs.

Truth: Ornithomimus had no teeth and a beak, so scientists think it was a plant-eater or an omnivore, not a carnivore.2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Ornithomimus
Named by: Marsh 18906
Group: Ostrich dinos
Family / clade: Ornithomimidae6
Classification: Theropoda > Ornithomimosauria6
Age of the rocks: 84 to 66 million years (Campanian / Maastrichtian)6
Rock formations: Lance, Horseshoe Canyon, Denver6
Countries: USA, Canada6
Fossil records: 35 in the Paleobiology Database6
Discovery: The first Ornithomimus fossils were found in Colorado in 1889 by George Lyman Cannon. The famous paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh named the dinosaur Ornithomimus velox in 1890.1
Still debated: Scientists are still debating what Ornithomimus ate. Some think it was a plant-eater, others think it ate insects, small animals, and maybe fruit too.1 2

Where the facts come from

Ornithomimus (en.wikipedia.org)
Ornithomimus | The Canadian Encyclopedia (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca)
Ornithomimus — size, diet & habitat | DinoLifePedia (dinolifepedia.com)
Ornithomimus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Ornithomimus | The Canadian Encyclopedia (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca)
Ornithomimus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

Rex is hungry! Dino Wiki is a dad's project for his dino-loving son, free with no ads. Grown-ups can feed Rex a snack to help keep it online.Feed Rex