Moas are extinct flightless birds in the order Dinornithiformes that were formerly endemic to New Zealand. There were 9 species (in 6 genera). The 2 largest species of the giant moas in the genus Dinornis: the South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) and the North Island giant moa (Dinornis novaezelandiae), reached about 3.6 meters (12 feet) in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about 230 killograms (510 pounds) while the smallest, the bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis), was around the size of a turkey. Estimates of the moa population when Polynesians settled New Zealand circa 1300 vary between 58,000 and approximately 2.5 million.
Moa are traditionally placed in the ratite group. However, their closest relatives have been found by genetic studies to be the flighted South American tinamous, once considered to be a sister group to ratites. The 9 species of moa were the only wingless birds, lacking even the vestigial wings that all other ratites have. They were the largest terrestrial animals and dominant herbivores in New Zealand's forest, shrubland, and subalpine ecosystems until the arrival of the Māori, and were hunted only by the Haast's eagle. Moa extinction occurred within 100 years of human settlement of New Zealand, primarily due to overhunting by Māori, which also resulted in the extinction of the Haast's eagle.
Games[]
Jurassic World: Alive[]
The moa, likely more specifically the giant moa (Dinornis) as it was referred to as "a 500 lbs flightless bird", is indirectly mentioned in the database entry for the Haast's eagle in the game.
References[]
https://www.paleo.gg/games/jurassic-world-alive/dinodex/haast_eagle
