Moa
Moa,or Dinornis, an extinct flightless bird of New Zealand. There were about 20 species of moas. Depending on species, they ranged in height from 3 to 13 feet (0.9 to 4 m) and in weight from 30 to 520 pounds (14 to 236 kg). The moa had a short, stout bill, a small head, and a long neck. The feet were large and broad. Silky brown or black-and-white feathers covered the body and the upper half of the legs; the head, neck, lower half of the legs, and feet were bare. Wings were small or absent. Moas fed chiefly on plants.
Most species of moas became extinct before 1400; a few survived into the 1600's. The causes of these extinctions are unknown; one probable cause is indiscriminate hunting by the Maoris, the earliest known inhabitants of New Zealand.
The largest species of moa was Dinornis maximus; the smallest. Anomalopteryx oweni. Moas made up the family Dinornithidae.
Moas were large, flightless birds, native to New Zealand, that are now extinct.
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