The largest moa could stand more than three meters tall.
Tips
history
Nine moa species roamed New Zealand for millennia. After Polynesian settlers (the Māori) arrived around 1300 CE, the birds were hunted to extinction within a couple of centuries — one of the fastest documented extinctions caused by humans.
memory
恐 (kǒng, fearsome — same character as in 恐龙 kǒnglóng, dinosaur) + 鸟 (niǎo, bird) = 'terror-bird'. Calques the same monster-sized vibe as 恐龙.
