| Stout-legged moa | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Superorder: | Paleognathae |
| Order: | Struthioniformes |
| Family: | Dinornithidae |
| Genus: | Euryapteryx |
| Species: | Euryapteryx geranoides (Owen, 1848) |
| Binomial name | |
| Euryapteryx geranoides (Owen, 1848)[1] |
|
The Stout-legged Moa (Euryapteryx geranoides) is an extinct species of New Zealand birds of the Family Moa. These moa lived on North Island, South Island, and on Stewart Island. Its habitat was the lowlands (shrublands, grasslands, dunelands, and forests).[2] It was a ratite and a member of the Struthioniform Order. The Struthioniformes are flightless birds, whose sternum lacks a keel and whose palate is distinctive. The origin of the Stout-legged Moa is becoming clearer as it is now believed that early ancestors of these birds were able to fly and flew to the southern areas where their remains have been recovered.[2]