Skip to main content

Story: Māori rock art – ngā toi ana

Enormous bird, Craigmore

Image
Enormous bird, Craigmore

This rare image of a bird with a massive wingspan appears on the roof of a cave in Craigmore, South Canterbury. It may represent Te Pouākai, the extinct Haast’s eagle, last seen alive around 1400. 

Using this item

Private collection

by Alan Cressler

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Brian Allingham, Māori rock art – ngā toi ana – Rock art designs, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/45529/enormous-bird-craigmore (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Brian Allingham, published 6 June 2014.