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Story: Moa

Moa’s stance

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Moa’s stance

There has been considerable research and debate about the moa’s stance. In the earliest years of scientific work on the bird, it was thought that it stood upright, almost like a camel, as illustrated by this drawing of the Dinornis that appeared in Ferdinand Hochstetter’s 1867 guide to the geography, geology and natural history of New Zealand.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: B-K 658-176

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Trevor H. Worthy, Moa – Appearance and breeding, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/11377/moas-stance (accessed 20 June 2026).

Story by Trevor H. Worthy, published 1 March 2009.