鼻孔附近的断裂区块很像向上隆起,使葛瑞格利·保罗在他1988年的著作《世界掠食性恐龙》(Predatory Dinosaurs of the World)中提出嗜鸟龙具有“看起来像鸡冠的鼻角”。[27]奥利佛·劳哈特(Oliver W.M. Rauhut)(2003)及肯尼斯·卡彭特等人(2005)都反驳这个理论,并指出骨头的向上突出是由于尸体死后头骨被压碎所致。[28]保罗在他2010年的著作《普林斯顿恐龙大百科》(Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs)中的更新版嗜鸟龙复原不再包含鼻角。[29]
在奥斯本1903年的叙述中提到嗜鸟龙“头骨加脊柱复原”的身长为2.22米。[3]然而根据奥斯尼尔·马许的基础蜥脚形亚目近蜥龙的复原,这项复原是不正确的,颈部和躯干都过度延长。[45]大卫·诺曼(英语:David B. Norman)(1985)和约翰·福斯特(2007)都估计嗜鸟龙身长2米。[46]保罗1988年的《世界掠食性恐龙》写道嗜鸟龙身长约2.08米。[47]
亨利·费尔菲尔德·奥斯本(1903)的嗜鸟龙叙述中,提及前齿大而锥形、手部的快速抓握能力、尾部的平衡能力;这些特征被他解释为用来猎捕同期鸟类的适应能力。[3]但后来奥斯本反悔了此理论,于是1917年提出嗜鸟龙代表着肉食性转变为植食性生活形态之间的过渡阶段。但在此修正之前,查尔斯·耐特(英语:Charles R. Knight)已经绘制了一幅嗜鸟龙捕捉始祖鸟的插图,影响力大且广为流传。[62]奈特的插图及其他衍生作在接下来的整个20世纪持续出现于恐龙书籍中,并深刻影响着大众印象。[50]
查尔斯·奈特所绘制的嗜鸟龙捕捉始祖鸟复原图于1914年刊载于美国博物馆杂志,使它“嗜鸟”的形象深植人心。嗜鸟龙首次于萤幕上亮相是在1940年的迪士尼动画电影《幻想曲》(Fantasia)的《春之祭》段落,一只嗜鸟龙试图偷袭一只始祖鸟,正如同当时奈特所描绘的形象。后来比较知名的登场是在BBC1999年的纪录片《与恐龙共舞》(Walking with Dinosaurs)和后续作品《异特龙之谜(英语:The Ballad of Big Al)》(The Ballad of Big Al),影片中的嗜鸟龙身体为鳞片而没有羽毛,头上长有可竖起的刺状构造,且鼻端有一个冠;捕食刚孵化的幼梁龙;还有保护自己的巢穴。
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