Moa Skeleton

Moa were flightless, giant birds that became extinct shorty after human arrival in New Zealand. Canterbury Museum has been at the forefront of the study of moa since the Museum's inception. The Museum holds the world's largest collection of the bones of these giant birds including large collections from single sites such as the famous Pyramid Valley in North Canterbury. This skeleton is mounted in the foyer of the Museum and is a South Island Giant Moa Dinornis robustus excavated from Pyramid Valley in the 1950s. This important collection is still allowing scientists to make new discoveries about the biology of these iconic New Zealand birds.