Coastal moa (SciiFii)

The broad-billed, stout-legged moa or coastal moa (Euryapteryx curtus) is a species of moa that live in both the North and the South Islands of New Zealand, and on Stewart Island, and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to New Zealand to help boost biodiversity. Its habitat includes in the lowlands (duneland, forest, shrubland, and grassland). It is a ratite and a member of the Struthioniformes Order. The Struthioniformes are flightless birds with a sternum without a keel. They also have a distinctive palate. The origin of these birds is believed to be that early ancestors of these birds were able to fly and flew to the southern areas that they have been found in. The coastal moa mainly lives in the vegetation mosaic of grassland-shrubland-forest found in the drier regions of the North and South Islands, especially in Canterbury and Otago, and coastal areas in the North Island. They mainly browse on shrubs and herbs, mainly leaves and fruits of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, rather than the more fibrous, woody material eaten by the larger moa species. It takes a coastal moa up to nine years to reach adult size. The conservation status of the coastal moa is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the coastal moa's wide natural range and its tolerance to most of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii