ANOTHER CRITTER WHO SLEEPS WHEREVER IT WANTS

By John Megahan [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

The biggest and one of the most baddest birds of all time was the wingless moa from New Zealand. Several species existed; the largest was 13 feet tall, resembled an ostrich on steroids, and weighed over 700 pounds. An unarmed human was no match for it.

However, one bird that was even baddester than the moa was the Haast's eagle--the largest eagle in the world.  It was also from New Zealand. The Haast's eagle had moas for breakfast--literally. The Haast's eagle would plummet from a high altitude with the same force as a cinder block falling from an eight-story building, crash into the side of a moa with his talons extended, and then leisurely eat his victim on the ground. Since there was no other creature around foolish enought to tackle a Haast's eagle, this foul fowl did not have to fly away with his prey in order to have a quiet, peaceful meal.

When the Maori tribe settled New Zealand around the 1400s, the supply of moas was drastically reduced both as a result of the skilled hunting* by the humans and the destruction of moa eggs by the livestock which accompanied the Maori. The Haast's eagle population dwindled due to the lack of moas, notwithstanding the fact that the eagles did attack and kill people when moas were not readily available.

Both the moa and Haast's eagle probably became extinct between 1400 and 1800. I use the term "probably" due to the fact that rumors of recent sightings of both species in remote areas of New Zealand still tantalize cryptozoologists.

For a colorful and profane in-depth analysis revealing why Haast's eagles, even if not extinct, nonetheless probably would not replace parakeets in pet stores, please see one of my favorite websites--Badass of the Week.

Oh, by the way, when looking at the picture at the top of this factoid, please remember that the moas running on the ground are substantially taller than any human.

*The skilled hunting included tossing a red-hot rock at the moa, who would ingest it and roast itself internally.  Remember, I said that moas were big. I did not say that they were intelligent.