When Did Moa Live In New Zealand?

The Moa was a giant flightless bird that lived in New Zealand growing about 10 ft (about 3m) in height and weighing 250 kg (550 lbs); the bird is believed to have become extinct some time in 1500 AD as a result of over hunting by the indigenous Maoris for whom the bird was an important source of food.

The bird before humans settled on the island was hunted by the Haast's Eagle the largest species of eagle which also became extinct in later times. The Moa according to DNA research is considered to be related to the Australian birds the Emu and the Cassowary.

Another species of Moa the Giant Moa which grew to be about 13 ft tall became extinct some time in the 13th century the reasons being hunting and loss of habitat as a result of clearance of forested areas by the Maoris; the species exhibited sexual dimorphism with the female of the species being considerably larger than the males. The British biologist Richard Owen was the first to describe the extinct species in 1839 from evidence of a bone fragment.