Haast's Eagle

Haast's Eagle; Temporal range: Pleistocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	An artist's illustration of Haast's Eagle
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Accipitriformes
Family:	Accipitridae
Genus:	†Hieraeetus; Haast, 1872
Type species
	†Harpagornis moorei; Haast, 1872

Haast's Eagle (Hieraaetus moorei) was a species of eagle that once lived on the South Island of New Zealand.

The species was the largest eagle known to have existed. Its prey consisted mainly of Moa, gigantic flightless birds that were unable to defend themselves from the striking force and speed of these eagles, which at times reached 80 km/h (50 mph). The Eagle's massive size may have been an evolutionary response to the size of its prey, as both would have been much smaller when they first came to the island, and would have grown larger over time due to lack of competition (see island gigantism). Haast's Eagle became extinct around the year 1400, when its major food source, the Moa, were hunted to extinction by Maori and much of its dense-forest habitat was cleared.

Taxonomy[]

Haast's eagle was first described by Julius von Haast in 1871 from remains discovered by F. Fuller in a former marsh.

In popular culture[]

The Haast's eagle appeared in the Monsters We Met.
Haast's eagle appeared in Jurassic World: The Game but only a statue decoration.
Harpagornis appeared in the documentary David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive.
Haast's eagle appeared in the video game Jurassic World: Alive.

Haast's Eagle

Taxonomy[]

In popular culture[]

References[]

Fan Feed