What is the minimum sized bird that could take an adult man’s finger off with one bite?
It’s not the size of the bird as much as the size of the beak.
I imagine some of the big macaws or other parrots might be able to do it. Most raptors have bills adapted to tearing flesh from bones rather than shearing through bone, so I’m not sure even a Harpy Eagle could do it.
This guy certainly could.
I’ve been told the big macaws can definitely do it.
I’ve seen a blue hyacinth macaw crack a walnut like it was eating peanuts.
I think a macaw or big cockatoo would be able to. I think Steve the timneh might have been able to, and he was only 15 inches. It is not just the beak strength, although a big hookbill has plenty of strength, it is that a parrot who has been raised by humans has a very exact idea of how a finger works and where the weak spots are. Parrots have very sensitive beaks, and are very clever in exploiting weak points with them. They can also be FAST. The few times our timneh Steve ( small African grey parrot) really struck someone, it was not a chomp, but a deep slice/puncture that happened to fast to see, and took a few seconds to hurt. He did not waste time on tough and hard to hurt spots.Most parrots will not really try to take off fingers, usually they bite to say “back off”.
I have seen a big hyacinth bite and snap off a car key. But he was doing it in a happy way.
also, beware the cockatoo!