New Zealand Birds
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DSC_8101309 South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) this road sign was a mischievous response to publican Paddy Freaney's 'sighting' of a moa (near his Bealey River Hotel) in 1993, which caused an international media sensation. In reality moa have long been extinct, they were wiped out by polynesian colonists as early as 1500 *
DSC8101309MoaroadcrossingsignPaddy FreaneysensationalsightingBealeyhotel
![11001-00205 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) the articulated, feathered leg of an extinct flightless bird once common in the subalpine regions of New Zealand's South Island. This remarkable leg [Av7474] from the Waikaia Catchment, Otago with its numerous feathers preserves much information about moa plumage *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-dVkSKtV/1/29357a1c/Ti/imp%20Upland%20moa_00205v-Ti.jpg)
![11001-00209 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) the articulated foot of an extinct flightless bird once common in the subalpine regions of New Zealand's South Island. This detail from an entire leg [Av7474] from the Waikaia Catchment, Otago shows detail of the pad and scutes *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-5t3hcpx/0/bbdc90a7/Ti/imp%20Upland%20moa_00209v-Ti.jpg)
![11001-00208 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) the articulated, feathered leg of an extinct flightless bird once common in the subalpine regions of New Zealand's South Island. This remarkable leg [Av7474] from the Waikaia Catchment, Otago with its numerous feathers preserves much information about moa plumage *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-x6Tr65R/0/0494f7e5/Ti/imp%20Upland%20moa_00208v-Ti.jpg)
![11001-00220 Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) egg of the last species of moa thought to have gone extinct (vanishing around 1500). This moa lived in South Island high-altitude beech forests.[OM Av7469] Chatto Creek, Otago *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-xbB4KfK/1/8d63a27b/Ti/upland%20moa%20egg_00220v-Ti.jpg)
![11001-00104 Little bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis) skull of a large wingless ground bird now extinct but formerly widespread in closed canopy forests. [#S35274] from Takaka Hill *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-vKFr3xX/13/6bf1abce/Ti/Little%20bush%20moa_00104v-Ti.jpg)
![11001-00110 Little bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis) egg [MNZS457] from Martinborough Cave 5, Haurangi. This large wingless ground bird is now extinct, but it was formerly widespread in closed canopy forests *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-499j2K6/4/2039423e/Ti/Little%20bush%20moa%20egg_00110-Ti.jpg)
![11001-00302 Heavy-footed moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) eggshell of large wingless ground bird now extinct but formerly widespread in the South Island lowlands, in forests, shrublands, dunelands and grasslands. This is one of W.B.D. Mantell's original reconstructions [MNZS00002] from Awamoa, near Oamaru *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-4gqg7hV/4/daeddc45/Ti/imp%20Heavy-footed%20moa_00302v-Ti.jpg)
![11001-00401 Crested moa (Pachyornis australis) skull [S27896] from Honeycomb Hill Cave, Karamea. This moa lived in the far north and far south of the South Island, and could cope with the cold alpine terrain there. Cranial pits in the skull, suggest it may have been crested *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-kDdNk47/1/88ed1840/Ti/Crested%20moa%20skull_00401-Ti.jpg)
![11001-00609 Eastern moa (Emeus crassus) pelvis [S27896] showing damage from the giant eagle (Harpagornis). Pyramid Valley. Eastern moa lived only in the South Island lowlands, in forests, grasslands, dunelands, and shrublands. Females were 15-25% larger than males, and like almost all moa species, it was extinct by the year 1500 *](https://photos.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-Birds/New-Zealand-Birds/i-JkThsRT/10/424d770b/Ti/eastern%20moa_00609v-Ti.jpg)