The eagle is one of the largest birds, so you can imagine how jumbo this largest type of eagle is. Its scientific name is Hieraaetus moorei or commonly referred to as Haast by the Maori people in New Zealand.
Yes, Haast's eagles lived in New Zealand, but now they are sadly extinct. To be precise, this eagle passed away from this world about 500 years ago.
It can weigh up to 18 kilograms and its wingspan can reach 3 meters. Thus, as quoted by us from Live Science, Haast is the largest eagle that has ever existed on this Earth.
Although the claws and beak resemble those of an eagle, the head resembles that of a vulture, so there has been speculation that Haast may have been more of a scavenger than a hunter.
Now in a recent study with digital models and simulations, scientists concluded that Haast's eagle really is a predator that hunts live prey.
However, the shape of the skull indicates that when Haast's largest eagle has dropped its prey, it will indeed eat its internal organs like a vulture.
During its lifetime, this giant eagle preys, among others, is a large and wingless moa bird. Moa were abundant in New Zealand before becoming extinct about 800 years ago.
At that time, Maori people began to arrive in New Zealand. They hunted Moa and destroyed their habitat, leading to the disappearance of Moa some time later, followed by the extinction of Haast.
Moa are so large that Haast's eagle is thought to have its own technique for preying on it.
"The moa don't just die of old age or get eaten, they are actively hunted by these eagles. Because the moas are much bigger than them, it forces them to eat them in a vulture-like fashion," said one of the researchers.