Upland moa

Common card · No. 231452

The upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) or moa pukepuke (Māori), is an extinct species of moa that was endemic to New Zealand. Richard Owen described the species in 1883. It belongs to the ratites, a group of predominantly flightless birds characterized by a sternum lacking a keel. Megalapteryx didinus is known from well preserved specimens, several of which retain impressions of soft tissues. The upland moa inhabited the South Island, where it primarily favored alpine and subalpine environments. Its diet consisted mainly of flowers, herbs and other vegetation. Following the arrival of the Māori, the species was hunted and became extinct around 1500 CE. It was the last known surviving species of moa.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand, CC BY 4.0