That is not accepted as a fact, probably because it is so very hard to verify. So far as I can tell from reading up about this the last time this kind of thread came up (about 2 weeks ago), the current orthodoxy is that the Moa died out within 2 centuries of Polynesian contact, so, about 2-3 centuries before persistent European contact.
Surviving Moa in New Zealand until the arrival of Europeans
- Thread starter Malone
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That is not accepted as a fact, probably because it is so very hard to verify. So far as I can tell from reading up about this the last time this kind of thread came up (about 2 weeks ago), the current orthodoxy is that the Moa died out within 2 centuries of Polynesian contact, so, about 2-3 centuries before persistent European contact.
yourworstnightmare
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Would the survival of the Moa mean Haast's eagle also survives, since it's extinction was tied to the extinction of it's most important food source?
Would be interesting, if the Madagascar Ostrich, Aepyornis Maximus survives, too. It´s egg had the volume compareable to 1000 chicken´s eggs.
This was never proved. There is no physical evidence of any species of moa surviving later than the 15th century.
As somebody said, if Europeans would have not hunted them directly, cats, dogs, rats, ferrets, chicken diseases etc. would have wiped them out in a few decades. This kind of isolated megafauna had few chances to survive...
I bit doubt that. Eagle might find horse meat very delicious. It might be find other European animals quiet tasty too. Europeans hardly would like that and they might hunt it to extinction.
And it is totally possible that it might hunt humans too.
It is disputed, if HaastEagle was capable of this or would have gone after them. But allegedly there had been even larger birds of prey as well on the island, probably surviving into the mid-19th century.
These claims, if true, would have fit Eyles harriers better than Haast eagles. The eagles seemed to be highly specialized in hunting big moas and it is unlikely that they could survive such a drastical extinction of their prey.
Eyles harriers had also an impressive wingspan but their diet were far more diverse. In their case, they could have survived better the demise of the moas, but their late populations would have been relictual.
well, phooey. Okay, delay Maori settlement of NZ by about 300 years then? That's a taller order than 100 years, but not impossible...
...you mean the elephant bird?
might hunt it to extinction? you're seriously underestimating the Europeans' capacity to utterly destroy anything standing in their way
I find this complicated, because you should also prevent occasional visits to NZ too.
In fact, this is possible that even without a permanent settlement, Maori could have caused the extinction of moas by just bringing Polynesian rats to the main islands.
Just look at the case of Henderson island (and some others) where Maori did not settle, but stay occasionally. Even without direct hunting or continued human activity, this caused the extinction of several species of endemic birds.
It is difficult to prove, but it is possible that actual extinction of moas started earlier than actual settlement of Maori in NZ. The later settlement maybe just accelerated the process; anyway, by the time the Europeans arrived to NZ the Polynesian rats were abundant and widespread enough for preventing successful ground nesting. A clear example is the Kakapo, which was wiped out from almost all its previous range due to this fact (but lucky enough for surviving in some remote cliffs in the fjordlands, something that moas could hardly do it).
Apart of the moas, other ground birds which relayed on ground nesting suffered the same fate without such hunting pressure i.e. the New Zealand gooses, the stiff-tailed duck, the adzebills, some rails and some wrens. Some of them survived thanks to special adaptation in protecting their eggs like kiwis and the weka, but this is not supposed to be the case of moas.
If, by some chance, moa survived until European contact, they would still be doomed. If not killed to provide exhibits for museums, which IS what conservation mostly meant back then, then it would be the introduction of pigs that would finish them.
After all, pigs killed off the dodo rather than hunting by humans. Dutch records say that the dodo tasted awful. Ground nesting birds that lay large eggs are especially vulnerable to foraging pigs. Trying to defend the nest wouldn't work because pigs are aggressive and tough compared to birds. The moa wouldn't stand a chance.
Kiwi survive because they nest in a burrow.
As for the Haast Eagle (Harpagornis), if the moa survives that long, they might manage it too, although I personally doubt it. A large flying predator that hunts large BIPEDS is going to be on any human's "kill on sight" list.
After all, pigs killed off the dodo rather than hunting by humans. Dutch records say that the dodo tasted awful. Ground nesting birds that lay large eggs are especially vulnerable to foraging pigs. Trying to defend the nest wouldn't work because pigs are aggressive and tough compared to birds. The moa wouldn't stand a chance.
Kiwi survive because they nest in a burrow.
As for the Haast Eagle (Harpagornis), if the moa survives that long, they might manage it too, although I personally doubt it. A large flying predator that hunts large BIPEDS is going to be on any human's "kill on sight" list.