I. Lost Not Forgotten
South Island giant moa
Index Naturae
IN 1.05.01-A
South Island giant moa
Dinornis robustus
Adult portrait
I. Lost Not Forgotten
Field notes
The South Island giant moa browsed through forests, shrublands and open country in Aotearoa New Zealand. Females grew far larger than males. Its long neck reached foliage, while a robust bill and gizzard stones helped process leaves, twigs and other plants.
- Former range
- South Island, Stewart Island and D’Urville Island, New Zealand
- Habitat
- Forests, shrublands, coastal dunes and subalpine grasslands
Extinction
Hunting after Polynesian settlement drove giant moa to extinction; burning also reduced their habitat. Archaeological remains document the losses, but they do not identify the final individual or a precise day when the species disappeared.
Sources & conservation context
Extinct — Global species status: Dinornis robustus
Source review: 6 October 2026. Assessment dates, where given, belong to the cited source.