 The subfamily to which the genus belonged, the Patagornithinae, contained species that were of quite slender build; it looked much like the larger phorusrhacid "Phorusrhacos", but it was more elegant and smaller and had a proportionally higher beak, the most massive in proportion to body size of all phorusrhacids.A recent analysis of CT scans of the skull of "Andalgalornis" suggests that the beak was strong dorsoventrally (in the vertical plane) but relatively weak mediolaterally on either side.The beak's weakness has led some to suggest that the bird could not have taken down large prey, but consumed smaller, more easily manageable prey that could be killed with weak bite forces.