Broad-billed moa

The broad-billed moa or coastal moa (Euryapteryx curtus) was an extinct moa from New Zealand. It lived in the North and the South Islands and on Stewart Island.

The coastal moa mainly lived in dry shrubland areas. It was lived almost all over North Island. The dominant species lived in the center, the volcanic plateau and along the Wanganui-Taranaki Coast.

The birds were fat and short-legged. Males were about a meter tall. Females were a little bit taller (1.3 meters). They varied in size, some were even twice as big as others. They weighed about 20 kg. It is thought that they mainly ate fruit, leaves and large insects. Chicks ate insects.

It is thought that because coastal moas (among others) had a small olfactory chamber, they had great vocal abilities.

References

 Other websites 
 New Zealand birds website: Coastal Moa

Category:Moa