South Island giant moa (SciiFii)

The South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus) is a member of the moa family, being a ratite and a member of the order Dinornithiformes, and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced back to South Island, New Zealand, to help boost biodiversity. The Dinornithiformes are flightless birds with a sternum without a keel. They also have a distinctive palate. The origin of these birds is believed to have been early ancestors of these birds were able to fly and flew to the southern areas in which they have been found. The South Island giant moa is the biggest of them all. Adult females stand up to 2 metres (6 ft 6 in) high at the back, and can reach foliage up to 3.6 metres (11 ft 10 in) off the ground, making them the tallest bird species known. Due to its large size among the moas, the South Island giant moa is a solitary animal that spends most of its life alone except during the breeding seasons. The conservation status of the South Island giant moa is Near Threatened due to some habitat loss and, historically, invasive predators and egg-eating mammals, however, thanks to the conservationists, the moas and their natural habitats are protected, and the invasive predatory and egg-eating mammals have long since been eradicated from New Zealand, making the island a safe haven for the native species once more.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii