Extinct Giant Moa Bird Loses Weight, Strength, in New Study

The extinct giant moa — one of the tallest birds that ever lived — may not have been as massive and strong-boned as previously thought, according to new research.

The scientific name of the giant moa — Dinornis robustus — translates to "robust strange bird," and the species was the largest of at least nine moa bird species that roamed New Zealand's jungles and shrublands for thousands of years, until going extinct about 500 years ago, likely due to overhunting.

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Fossil Poo Reveals Where Ancient Giant Bird Ate

Being 12 feet tall and weighting 500 pounds didn’t save the giant moa (Dinornis robustus) from extinction, along with 11 smaller moa species on the islands of New Zealand. The ancient Maori, who may have hunted the massive flightless birds to extinction, probably knew well the moas’ favorite habitats.

But, for modern biologists, how moa’s used and shared the environment remained a mystery. Now poop has helped scientists decipher the mysterious movements of the moa.

Researchers analyzed pollen and other clues in fossilized feces from four species of the extinct bird. Each species’ feces contained different mixtures of plant remains. By matching the fossil plant species mixture with modern habitats, the researchers traced where the birds spent their time, before they disappeared in the early 1400s.

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