Discoveries

[Spalea]

" Dinornis, The North and South Island Giant Moa, are the largest of the flightless birds called Moa. Like all Moa they had a small head, a broad flattened beak and small eyes, a long neck and a hefty body, supported by thick legs. They had well-developed nostrils and nasal bones, so they probably had a very good sense of smell. Moa are unique amongst flightless birds because they have lost any trace that they once had wings — not even tiny wing bones or a wishbone are left.

Dinornis giganteus lived in the North Island of New Zealand and D. robustis in the South Island.
The preserved stomach contents of the Giant Moa show that they snipped twigs off plants such as the daisy–bush, Olearia, and ate them. They also ate berries and leaves. Like many birds, they had to swallow stones to grind up the food in the gizzard. Stones polished smooth by being rubbed together in the gizzard are often found with Moa skeletons. They normally browsed on food about 2m off the ground. If they leaned back and stretched out their necks, they could pluck food as high up as 3m.
Moa only laid one or two eggs at a time. Eggshell fragments have been found at many sites, including at prehistoric Maori settlements.".

Reply