Not long ago, the enormous Haast's eagle soared over New Zealand.

Weighing almost 40lbs (18kg) with a wingspan up to ~10ft (3m), they likely feasted on the gigantic moa birds I described in an earlier post. Maori oral tradition also suggests they may have attacked human children.

So what happened to this fierce apex predator? Once the moa disappeared due to excess hunting after the arrival of people, Haast’s eagle followed around 1400. https://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/haasts-eagle. #SharedPlanet #science #nature