Creature
Fast Facts
Introducing you to extinct species.

THE

HAAST'S EAGLE/

POUAKAI

1. The Pouakai was a 'mythical' bird of the Maori people that was said to kill humans, and the Haast’s eagle, Hieraaetus moorei, was big enough to do so. 2. In 1871, Julius von Haast described the remains of an eagle found by Frederick Richardson Fuller in a marsh in South New Zealand. 3. It is believed that the Haast's eagle's closest relative was the little eagle of Australia, that grew 10 - 15 times its size over time to hunt the nine moa species of New Zealand, even the 12 foot tall, 510 pound giant moa. 4. Most estimates place the males in the 22 - 26 pounds range, whereas the females could weigh up to 33 pounds, making them the largest living eagle in modern times. 5. They had a shorter wingspan, 8.5 - 10 feet probably to aid them in hunting moas in forests. 6. It was only found on the South Island in New Zealand. 7. Haast gave it the scientific name, Harpagornis moorei. 'Harpagornis' meaning grappling bird and 'moorei' after the owner whose property the remains were found, George Henry Moore. 8. Cave art depicts Haast's eagles with a pale head. 9. Some scientists speculate that the Haast's eagle was a scavenger, but puncture marks on moa remains seem to show they in fact hunted the moa. 10. Some scientists believe the mythical 'pouakai' actually refers to the South Island snipe because of its terrifying call (see South Island Snipe under 'Extinct Animals' tab). 11. It is estimated that there were 3,000 - 4,500 breeding pairs of pouakai before the arrival of the Maori people to New Zealand around 1280. 12. The Maori hunted the large, flightless moa and cleared the forests. When the moa went extinct, so did the Haast's eagle.

Extinction
Cometh
Facing the light at the end of the tunnel

EXTINCTION DATE

late 1400's

Legends are often based on fact. In fact, the rhino, the platypus, the narwhal, the giant squid, and the gorilla are just a few legendary creatures that turned out to be real. The Haast's eagle aka the pouakai should be added to that list. Maori legend told of a giant monster that would swoop down and carry off people. Then in 1871, Canterbury Museum taxidermist, Frederick Richardson Fuller discovered some large eagle remains in the marshes on the Glenmark Estates in South New Zealand. Julius Von Haast was the one who identified the remains as the pouakai. Although he did not take credit for the discovery, his name stuck with this unique eagle. The Haast's eagle's tale of extinction, perfectly mirrors that of the giant moa, so if you have read that tale first, this will seem very familiar. Between 1280 AD - 1320 AD the Maori people arrived in New Zealand and began to have an effect on the wildlife of the two islands. The Maori successfully, and efficiently hunted the giant moa. Although there may have been a few upland moas in the high mountains, all other moas were extinct by the time Europeans arrived in New Zealand in 1796. Scientists believe that the giant moa went extinct around 1400. What does the giant moa have to do with the extinction of the Haast’s eagle? The Haast's eagle had grown in size over time (10 - 15 times the original size of the little eagle from Australia), perfectly adapting to take down the large moas as its primary food source. The Maori did burn down large portions of forests, bring invasive species to New Zealand, and there is no evidence that the Maori hunted the Haast's eagle, the fact that they hunted their food source, but the extinction of the moa seems to have been the direct cause of the extinction of the Haast's eagle around 1400 AD. Could the Haast's eagle live in New Zealand today? Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The giant Haast's eagle would be a bad candidate for this. There are some skeletal remains of Haast's eagles, but the de-extinction process requires soft tissue, and this is hard to find. The good news is that New Zealand has been making great progress in protecting its native wildlife, like the kiwi by preserving forests and eliminating invasive species. If the Haast's eagle was brought to life, could it ever be reintroduced to its native homeland in New Zealand and what would it eat to survive without the moa?