Moa

An illustration of some Maori hunting a pair of moas, by Heinrich Harder. In actuality, the Maori people did not have bows and arrows.

Comparison of a kiwi, ostrich, and Dinornis, each with its egg

The moa were large, herbivores and were flightless birds with no wings. They lived only in New Zealand, and are now all extinct.

There were nine species (in six genera) of Moa. The largest and best known were the genus Dinornis, which grew up to 3.6 meters (12 feet) tall, and weighed as much as 230 kilograms (510 pounds).

The Māori people arrived in New Zealand from Oceania about 800 years ago. Then, moas lived in large numbers, especially on South Island. Archaeological sites with evidence of moa hunting are all over New Zealand. The moas became extinct about five hundred years ago. The moas had survived being hunted by Haast's eagle. However, they could not survive being hunted for food by the Maori.

Recent extinctions (also mostly birds) have been caused by habitat change and introduced species.

Large birds

• Cassowary
• Elephant bird
  • Aepyornis
• Terror birds
  • Phorusrhacos
  • Brontornis
• Dromornis
• Gastornis (Diatryma)

Moa Media

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  A size comparison between four moa species and a human

  1. Dinornis novaezealandiae

  2. Emeus crassus

  3. Anomalopteryx didiformis

  4. Dinornis robustus
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  Fossil skeleton of the heavy-footed moa (Pachyornis elephantopus)

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  A book of birds (Plate I) (Struthio camelus)

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  Cuvier-67 Nandou d'Amérique

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  NothuraDarwiniiSmit white background

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  Euryapteryx gravis (curtus).

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  The genera of birds (white background)

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  Mullerornis modestus (remaster)