One Look at This Bird Would Make You Run the Other Way

Have you ever imagined an eagle so tall that it could reach your elbow? No, not really. But now that you bring it up, maybe it's possible. Well, it might sound frightening, but between you and me, don't worry, they don't exist. Or, at least, not anymore.

Meet the Haast's eagle, one of the largest eagles to have ever lived on Earth. It used to live in New Zealand and is believed to have become extinct in the 13th century. This incredible bird had a wingspan of up to 10 feet and could weigh up to 22 pounds, which is about as much as a regular car tire.

The Haast's eagle was the top predator during its peak days. It used to hunt the chicks of large flightless birds like the Moa, which was an equally sturdy bird around 12 feet tall and weighed 440 pounds. This eagle became so large because it had plenty of food to feed on in its environment.

The ancestors of the eagle were smaller birds that lived in the forests. But as the forest began to disappear, the grasslands expanded, so the birds had to adapt to hunting larger prey out in the open. Over time, the eagle's wings grew larger, and its talons became more powerful, allowing it to take down bigger birds.

The Haast's eagle was also very intelligent. It had a unique hunting strategy: it waited for prey to come to a river to drink water, and then it would swoop down and snatch the animal with its talons. This hunting method was effective and allowed the eagle to take down large prey with minimal effort.

The Haast's eagle had a unique physical feature, with a beak larger than other eagles. This helped it better hold its prey. It was believed that this eagle was very strong, as it could carry prey weighing up to 100 pounds.

Despite its reputation as a scary bird, the Haast's eagle wasn't all bad. In fact, it was quite the romantic. It was a solitary hunter and scientists believe it mated for life. The two partners shared a secluded nest, which was sometimes hidden under cliffs for protection.

The Haast's eagle was significant to the indigenous people of New Zealand. They used its feathers for clothing and decoration and considered it a symbol of strength and power. Unfortunately, the Haast's eagle went extinct because it ran out of food. It depended on the Moa bird as its primary source of food, but when humans hunted the Moa bird, its population was greatly reduced, leaving the Haast's eagle without enough food to survive. This shows how human actions can significantly affect the environment and its inhabitants.

The Moa bird was another significant bird that used to live in New Zealand before becoming extinct in the 14th century. It was a large bird that had a long neck, a small head, and a beak that it used for grazing on vegetation. Even though it had wings, they were too small to enable it to fly, and it used them mainly for balance. The Moa bird lived in forested areas of New Zealand where it fed on a variety of plants such as ferns, shrubs, and tree leaves. It was a herbivore and also ate seeds, fruits, and berries that it would pick from the ground or bushes.

The Moa bird was a solitary creature active during the day, living alone or in small groups. It was mostly docile but feared the Haast's eagle, which was its main predator. The bird was important for the ecosystem of New Zealand as it fertilized soil and promoted plant growth. However, it became extinct due to human actions such as hunting and clearing large areas of forest for agriculture and settlements. The Maori people, who settled in New Zealand around the 13th century, hunted the bird for its meat, feathers, and bones, which led to a decline in its population. By the 14th century, the bird was no longer present.

Another large flightless bird was the elephant bird, which lived on the island of Madagascar until the 17th century. It was up to 10 ft tall and weighed up to 1,100 lb, making it one of the largest birds ever to exist. First seen in the 16th century, it had thick gray-brown feathers, a long neck, and a large thick bill. It had three toes on each foot and had strong legs. Although now extinct, these birds remind us of the diversity of life that once existed on our planet and the impact humans can have on the environment.