Changes

==Description==

==Description==

Three known mounted skeletons reside in New Zealand museums, and from these estimates have been made about the overall size of Haast's eagle.  At minimum they are some 30% heavier than the largest living bird of prey, the [[harpy eagle]] (''Harpia harpyja'').  As in other raptors, females were larger than males; in weight alone it was estimated to be 25.35 pounds for a male, over 30 pounds for a female<ref>http://notornis.osnz.org.nz/system/files/Notornis_39_4_239.pdf</ref>. Its wingspan was between 8.5 to 9 feet, but in terms of flight Haast's eagle was built more like harpy - i.e. short, rounded wings and long tail of forest eagles - than the longer wings and short tails of open country raptors like the [[golden eagle]] (''Aquila chrysaetos'').

Three known mounted skeletons reside in New Zealand museums, and from these estimates have been made about the overall size of Haast's eagle.  At minimum they are some 30% heavier than the largest living bird of prey, the [[harpy eagle]] (''Harpia harpyja'').  As in other raptors, females were larger than males; in weight alone it was estimated to be 25.35 pounds for a male, over 30 pounds for a female.<ref>http://notornis.osnz.org.nz/system/files/Notornis_39_4_239.pdf</ref>  Its wingspan was between 8.5 to 9 feet, but in terms of flight Haast's eagle was built more like harpy - i.e. short, rounded wings and long tail of forest eagles - than the longer wings and short tails of open country raptors like the [[golden eagle]] (''Aquila chrysaetos'').

Haast's eagles hunted large game, primarily [[moa]]s, but other birds were also part of their diet, such as flightless geese (''Cnemiornis spp'') and the adzebills (''Aptomis spp'').  As in harpies, Haast's eagles probably used a still-hunt approach; they would sit on a high branch and wait for game to appear, then would suddenly swoop upon it.  The impact of an eagle striking a moa would knock the prey animal off its feet, and fractures of pelvises, neck bones, and skulls indicate the killing power of the talons.   

Haast's eagles hunted large game, primarily [[moa]]s, but other birds were also part of their diet, such as flightless geese (''Cnemiornis spp'') and the adzebills (''Aptomis spp'').  As in harpies, Haast's eagles probably used a still-hunt approach; they would sit on a high branch and wait for game to appear, then would suddenly swoop upon it.  The impact of an eagle striking a moa would knock the prey animal off its feet, and fractures of pelvises, neck bones, and skulls indicate the killing power of the talons.   

==Extinction==

==Extinction==

About the year 1280 the first humans arrived in New Zealand, encountering no other large animals on the islands other than the moas, which they began to hunt relentlessly, resulting in the extinction of these birds by 1440.  The demise of the moa left Haast's eagles with no large prey; they possibly hunted humans during the time of Maori colonization and sometime after the moa extinction, leading to legends of the man-eating birds ''hokioi'' and ''poukai'' being handed down through oral tradition<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/maori-legend-of-man-eating-bird-is-true-1786867.html</ref>. Maori did kill them, as their bones have been found in midden dumps<ref>http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/haasteagle.html</ref>.

About the year 1280 the first humans arrived in New Zealand, encountering no other large animals on the islands other than the moas, which they began to hunt relentlessly, resulting in the extinction of these birds by 1440.  The demise of the moa left Haast's eagles with no large prey; they possibly hunted humans during the time of Maori colonization and sometime after the moa extinction, leading to legends of the man-eating birds ''hokioi'' and ''poukai'' being handed down through oral tradition.<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/maori-legend-of-man-eating-bird-is-true-1786867.html</ref>  Maori did kill them, as their bones have been found in midden dumps.<ref>http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/haasteagle.html</ref>

Some 400 years after the eagle's extinction a noted explorer, Charles Edward Douglas, had encountered two very large raptors in the Landsborough River valley (possibly between 1870-1880), shooting them for food.  He described them:

Some 400 years after the eagle's extinction a noted explorer, Charles Edward Douglas, had encountered two very large raptors in the Landsborough River valley (possibly between 1870-1880), shooting them for food.  He described them:

==References==

==References==

*Grzelewski, Derek. "Travels with 'Mr. Explorer' Douglas"; article in ''New Zealand Geographic Magazine'', October-December, 1996.

*Grzelewski, Derek. "Travels with 'Mr. Explorer' Douglas"; article in ''New Zealand Geographic Magazine'', October–December, 1996.

[[Category:Birds of Prey]][[Category:Eagles]][[Category:Extinct Birds]]

[[Category:Birds of Prey]][[Category:Eagles]][[Category:Extinct Birds]]