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29 / Recently extinct
Haast’s Eagle
Hieraaetus moorei
The largest known eagle evolved to strike moa many times its own weight.
- Time range
- About 2 million years ago–15th century
- Final stage
- After human settlement
- Geographic range
- South Island, New Zealand
01 / ANSWER FIRST
What was Haast's eagle?
Haast's eagle was the heaviest known eagle, a South Island apex predator adapted to strike moa much larger than itself.
Females may have weighed about 12–14 kilograms and the wingspan approached three metres. Its broad wings, muscular legs and enormous talons fit short explosive attacks in forest and scrub rather than prolonged soaring over open plains.
02 / QUICK FACTS
Haast's Eagle at a glance
- Scientific name
- Hieraaetus moorei
- Age
- Late Pleistocene to about the 15th century
- Female mass
- About 12–14 kg
- Wingspan
- About 2.5–3 m
- Primary prey
- Moa and other large birds
- Range
- South Island, New Zealand
- Flight style
- Powerful forest and scrub flight
- Extinction
- After moa and habitat declined
03 / ANATOMY
An eagle scaled for exceptionally large prey
Massive talons
Deep, strongly curved claws and powerful feet could penetrate soft tissue and grip a moa pelvis during a high-force strike.
Broad wings
Relatively short broad wings improved acceleration and manoeuvring among trees but limited the soaring efficiency expected from a long-winged eagle.
Powerful hindlimbs
Large muscle attachment areas helped absorb impact and restrain prey that outweighed the eagle many times over.
Rapid island gigantism
Genetic work links it to much smaller eagles, showing how quickly an island predator can enlarge when an empty ecological role and giant prey are available.
04 / DIET & BEHAVIOUR
How did Haast's eagle hunt moa?
It probably launched from a perch or low flight, struck the moa's pelvis or flank with its feet, and fed at the carcass for days because no other large terrestrial carnivore could displace it.
05 / DIET & BEHAVIOUR
Was it only a moa hunter?
Moa supplied the largest meals, but Te Papa notes that other substantial birds—geese, ducks, rails and pigeons—were also plausible prey, especially for smaller eagles or where moa were scarce.
06 / RANGE & HABITAT
Where did Haast's eagle live?
Its fossils are restricted to New Zealand's South Island, where forests, scrub and open valleys supported different moa communities.
Forest margins
Trees offered concealed perches and short attack routes onto browsing moa.
Scrub and subalpine country
Broken terrain combined visibility with cover and supported medium-sized prey.
Caves and swamps
More than fifty fossil localities preserve bones; caves can retain multiple partial skeletons.
07 / FOSSIL EVIDENCE
How do scientists know how Haast's eagle lived?
Skeletons
Skulls, wing bones, legs and talons establish body mass, flight proportions and the forces its feet could generate.
Moa bone damage
Punctures and damage patterns on moa bones match attacks by very large raptor talons, connecting predator and prey directly.
DNA and biomechanics
Genetics identifies its smaller living relatives, while engineering models test whether the reconstructed body could strike and restrain moa.
Cultural evidence
Rock art, tools made from eagle bone and Māori traditions record human knowledge, though individual stories must be interpreted cautiously.
08 / DISAPPEARANCE & DEBATE
Why did Haast's eagle go extinct?
It disappeared after people rapidly eliminated moa and burned large areas of the habitat that supported its prey.
As a low-density apex predator, each breeding pair required a large prey base. When moa collapsed within centuries of settlement, smaller birds could not replace the lost energy supply at population scale.
09 / FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Haast's Eagle FAQ
Was Haast's eagle the largest eagle ever?
It is generally regarded as the heaviest known eagle; some other fossil birds had longer wings but a lighter build.
Could Haast's eagle kill a human?
Its anatomy was capable of inflicting lethal injuries, but direct archaeological proof of attacks on people is not established.
How could an eagle kill a moa?
A high-speed foot strike concentrated force through very large talons, likely targeting the pelvis or upper body before the eagle restrained the prey.
When did Haast's eagle disappear?
It probably vanished around the fifteenth century, close to the final disappearance of moa.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Expanded into a curated bilingual A-tier profile with anatomy, ecology, range, evidence, debate and FAQs.
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS