鼻孔附近的斷裂區塊很像向上隆起,使葛瑞格利·保羅在他1988年的著作《世界掠食性恐龍》(Predatory Dinosaurs of the World)中提出嗜鳥龍具有「看起來像雞冠的鼻角」。[27]奧利佛·勞哈特(Oliver W.M. Rauhut)(2003)及肯尼斯·卡彭特等人(2005)都反駁這個理論,並指出骨頭的向上突出是由於屍體死後頭骨被壓碎所致。[28]保羅在他2010年的著作《普林斯頓恐龍大百科》(Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs)中的更新版嗜鳥龍復原不再包含鼻角。[29]
在奧斯本1903年的敘述中提到嗜鳥龍「頭骨加脊柱復原」的身長為2.22公尺。[3]然而根據奧斯尼爾·馬許的基礎蜥腳形亞目近蜥龍的復原,這項復原是不正確的,頸部和軀幹都過度延長。[45]大衛·諾曼(英語:David B. Norman)(1985)和約翰·福斯特(2007)都估計嗜鳥龍身長2公尺。[46]保羅1988年的《世界掠食性恐龍》寫道嗜鳥龍身長約2.08公尺。[47]
亨利·費爾菲爾德·奧斯本(1903)的嗜鳥龍敘述中,提及前齒大而錐形、手部的快速抓握能力、尾部的平衡能力;這些特徵被他解釋為用來獵捕同期鳥類的適應能力。[3]但後來奧斯本反悔了此理論,於是1917年提出嗜鳥龍代表著肉食性轉變為植食性生活形態之間的過渡階段。但在此修正之前,查爾斯·耐特(英語:Charles R. Knight)已經繪製了一幅嗜鳥龍捕捉始祖鳥的插圖,影響力大且廣為流傳。[62]奈特的插圖及其他衍生作在接下來的整個20世紀持續出現於恐龍書籍中,並深刻影響著大眾印象。[50]
查爾斯·奈特所繪製的嗜鳥龍捕捉始祖鳥復原圖於1914年刊載於美國博物館雜誌,使牠「嗜鳥」的形象深植人心。嗜鳥龍首次於螢幕上亮相是在1940年的迪士尼動畫電影《幻想曲》(Fantasia)的《春之祭》段落,一隻嗜鳥龍試圖偷襲一隻始祖鳥,正如同當時奈特所描繪的形象。後來比較知名的登場是在BBC1999年的紀錄片《與恐龍共舞》(Walking with Dinosaurs)和後續作品《異特龍之謎(英語:The Ballad of Big Al)》(The Ballad of Big Al),影片中的嗜鳥龍身體為鱗片而沒有羽毛,頭上長有可豎起的刺狀構造,且鼻端有一個冠;捕食剛孵化的幼梁龍;還有保護自己的巢穴。
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