From Publishers Weekly
Stealth, cunning and killer instinct have ensured the survival of the flock of this gonzo eco-thriller's title, a population of prehistoric, predatory, highly intelligent giant proto-birds who've roamed for thousands of years in the trackless savanna of what's now a government military reservation in central Florida. Smith's entertaining debut kicks into high gear when the birds are caught between conflicting environmental and business interests. Vance Holcomb, a billionaire rogue environmentalist, is trying to protect the lurking creatures, while the Berg Brothers, a Disney-style entertainment conglomerate, crave the land as residential real estate. When a right-wing militia is hired to destroy the flock, a naïve young Fish and Wildlife officer and his girlfriend find themselves caught in the resulting melee. Smith maps out a complex living environment that makes the flock's continued existence almost believable and depicts human characters who match the killer birds in adaptability. If the book's conclusion feels a bit cynically anticlimactic, it still shows that humans are the deadliest predators of all. (Aug.)

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/public/exhibits/foshall/Library/Titanis/Titanis.htm

http://www.paleozone.homestead.com/andalsculpt.html

Ok, I am a geek and I know it. I mean, who else would have taken the time to look up this species and try to find out about it and not be the one writing a book about them?

The first novel of James Robert Smith, "The Flock", is an extremely well researched book dealing with a group of what is called "Terror Birds" and we ain't talking about your average canary here folks.
The creature stands between five and 9 feet tall, had a large brain, and in Smith's book have the ability to mimic other sounds and communicate between each other.
This makes them a very effective fighting group. They have to be, since they have been hiding out in the Florida Everglades for the last couple of million years without being captured or a corpse found.
Starting right after the Second World War, we find a group of soldiers on maneuvers that run into the creatures. Now, since our birds have survived for the same reason man has, by being more intelligent and cunning then the rest of the animals around them, their only option is to kill the soldiers. Moreover, it is somewhat of a chilling section of the story.
James Robert Smith has created a believable story about the large, flightless meat eaters who just might be a match for the deadliest killers alive, you and me. The flock lives in a small area of Florida, limiting its hunting to the unpopulated areas and covering its tracks to keep from being found. They also eat the carcasses' their dead flock mates. I think that is what Sasquatch does, which is why we can't find them either.
Anyway, there is always one member of the flock with the job of covering tracks and keeping the flock safe.
But there is one, called The Scarlet for reasons that become obvious, who is out to break free of millions of years of deception and is willing to face man. The Scarlet shows a complete disregard for the cautions of the group and plans to start its own flock by drawing off females. It is the story of these two that comprise much of the conflict in the story.
But not all of the conflict; We also get to read about the problems of man's invasion of the flock's habitat by an "entertainment conglomerate" known for anamorphic animals and who is not above murder when it comes to protecting its interests. We also have a rich environmentalist who suspects the existence of the flock, a right-wing survivalist nut group and a park ranger who is trapped between all of them and the flock.
What is great fun to watch is how Smith is able to keep these multiple story lines in order and keeps the reader hooked on what is happening, thus keeping the action going until we have the final chase scenes. Yes, 'scenes'. Two chases for the price of one. A bargain.
There will be the comparisons to Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" and that is a waste of time. That is like comparing "Jurassic Park" to "Valley of Gwangi"; after all, they both had dinosaurs in them. Piffle. There are no clones in "The Flock" and there are no cute, lovable kids that you keep hoping turn into dino do-do.
And "Valley of Gwangi" was more fun then "Jurassic Park." However, some people are still going to compare the two and when they do just smile and walk away.
"The Flock" is a great first novel, with an impressive group of characters both human and animal (and sometimes it is difficult to tell them apart) who actually grow on you. By the end of the story, you find yourself on the edge of your seat, worrying about the ones you like and hoping the ones you don't get what is coming to them.
The book is a complex and intriguing story, with the parties involved facing off and each one with its own plan.
Smith demonstrates that he is a more then capable writer with this book. The creatures are believable and realistic perhaps because they are based on fact and not just fiction.
In addition, they are the true bright lights of the book. Next time you are in the glades or just in a deserted stretch of wilderness, look around.
If you see a giant bird's beak peaking out of the tall grass, run like heck.
Oh, remember what I said about the flock being mimics? That least to one of the funniest twist ending I have read in years. Thanks James, for that.