Moa (original) (raw)

The moa were giant flightless birds of New Zealand. Eleven species are known, of varying sizes, with the largest species, the Giant Moa, reaching about three metres in height and about 250 kilograms in mass. They were the dominant herbivore in the forest ecosystem. The moa became extinct around 1500 due to hunting and land clearance after humans arrived in the islands. Before the arrival of humans, some moa were hunted by Harpagornis. The kiwi is considered a close relative to the moa.