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Bathornithidae is an extinct family of birds from the Eocene to Miocene of North America. Part of Cariamiformes, they are related to the still extant seriemas and the extinct Phorusrhacidae. They were likely similar in habits, being terrestrial, long-legged predators, some of which attained massive sizes.
It has been suggested that most, if not all, North American Paleogene cariamiforme fossils are part of this group.Gerald Mayr (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds Storrs Olson also referred the European Elaphrocnemus to this clade,Olson, Storrs L. (1985): Section X.A.I.b. The Tangle of the Bathornithidae. In: Farner, D.; King, J. & Parkes, K. (eds.): Avian Biology 8: 146–150. Academic Press, New York. though it has since been rejected.Gerald Mayr (2009). Paleogene Fossil Birds Conversely, some analysis have instead recovered them as a polyphyletic group, with Bathornis and kin being sister taxa to phorusrhacids while Paracrax is rendered closer to modern seriemas,Federico L. Agnolin (2009). "Sistemática y Filogenia de las Aves Fororracoideas (Gruiformes, Cariamae)" (PDF). Fundación de Historia Natural Felix de Azara: 1–79. though this assessment is heavily debated.Mayr, G., & Noriega, J. I. A well-preserved partial skeleton of the poorly known early Miocene seriema Noriegavis santacrucensis (Aves, Cariamidae). Acta palaeontologica Polonica, 60(3):589-598.
The most recent consensus is that Bathornithidae is relegated exclusively to Bathornis, as a clade of Cariamiformes outside of a clade including seriemas and , as well as a possible European specimen. Paracrax and Eutreptornis are understood to be odd taxa whose cariamiform affinities are not fully resolved. A 2024 study however finds Bathornis as closer to seriemas than phorusrhacids were.
Bathornis proper appears to have favoured wetland environments. It was a highly diverse genus, spanning a wide variety of species at various sizes, from the Eocene to the Miocene.
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