Haast’s Eagle, with its 10 foot wingspan (three meters) and nine centimetres (four inches) of talons was the largest known eagle in the world when it flew above New Zealand’s skies 800 years ago.
Scientists have now discovered that Haast’s Eagle ate like a vulture, according to scientists.
According to the experts at Canterbury Museum, this huge bird would cut into the carcass of its prey and insert its head inside. Then, it would consume its internal organs.
One of the researchers, Dr Paul Scofield said that when we imagine a Haast’s Eagle eating, we can picture them hovering over a moa and grasping on with their huge talons before using its powerful beak for the kill.
The eagle will go directly for the brain and guts once the moa is down.
Haast’s Eagle had a wingspan of 10 feet (three metres) and a length of four inches (nine cmimetres) when it flew over New Zealand.
Julius von Haast first described Haast’s Eagle in 1872. Since then scientists debate whether the bird was either a predator or a scavenger who eats animals already dead.
Researchers compared skulls, beaks, and talons in the Haast Eagle study with five live meat-eating birds.
These were the whistling kite, little eagle, wedge-tailed eagle, Cinereous vulture and Andean Condor.
The analysis showed that Haast Eagle’s beak and talons were the most closely related to the eagles.
Its neurocranium (the section of the skull surrounding the brain) was more similar to that of an Andean Condor.
Andean Condors are known as gulpers, which means they eat the carcass’ soft organs.
Researchers compared skulls, beaks, and talons in the Haast Eagle study with five live meat-eating birds. The study included the Andean Condor, Cinereous Vulture, Cinereous Eagle, Little Eagle and Wistling Kite.
An illustration by Maori in South Canterbury that seems to portray Haast’s Eagle is supporting the suggestion that Haast’s Eagle might have been bald-headed,
The researchers believe Haast’s Eagle might have eaten similarly to them due to similar neurocranium shapes.
Dr Scofield explained: ‘Most eagles hunt prey that is smaller than them, but Haast’s Eagle was going after moa that could weigh up to 200kg – more than 13 times their own body weight.
The sage said that condors often consume animals much bigger than themselves, making it easy to see why they would have similar eating habits.
Haast’s Eagle, with its 10 foot wingspan (three meters) and nine centimetres (four inches) of talons was the largest known eagle in the world when it flew the skies above New Zealand eight hundred years ago.
A Maori drawing found in South Canterbury cave that appears to show Haast as a bald-headed Eagle supports the idea.
In their study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers said: ‘This proposition is also consistent with a Maori rock art depiction of what is thought to be a Hie. In the Cave of the Eagle, Craigmore Station in South Island, moorei.
“The body of the raptorial bird is dark, while its neck and head are uncoloured.