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.
