#moa-keeper

I haven’t drawn Moa-keeper for a while, huh.

I’m sure she’s been doing fine, raising clutches of moa and other extinct New Zealand’s birds. As well as gardening, birdwatching, and simply keeping her homestead going with the increasing number of avian residents.

Just some Moa. Not to scale.

From left to right, Eastern moa (Emeus crassus), Little bush moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis), and Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus)

These species in particular are known from spectacular partially mummified remains, giving insights into the external appearance of Moa.

They also show just how diverse Moa really were. After all, there were 9 species of Moa in New Zealand. From the turkey-sized Little bush moa to the two species of Gianf moa, which were among the biggest birds on Earth. Not all of them looked the same, and they all lived in different habitats.

The Moa-keeper takes a ride on Iti the South Island giant Moa! Quite fun on a hot summer day.

However, that begs the question. Could you actually ride a moa? Well, it's complicated. Most moa were a shorter than a person, and you probably couldn't ride them. Thus, we have to stick with the biggest individuals, which are females of the genus Dinornis, the Giant Moa. They could grow up to 2 meters tall at the hips, and could crane their necks to 3,5 meters. They could look an elephant in the eye. So they are big enough to ride. They are also very robust in structure with wide hips and large feet, making them quite stable steeds.

However, there's a problem. Bird bones are pneumaticed, even those of the biggest Moa. This means that the bones are full of airsacks and have a honeycomb-like structure. And while this adds strength and keeps the bones light, they are very bad at bearing additional loads, unlike the heavy and rigid bones of large mammals. People riding ostriches isn't a good idea because reasons, as ostrich bones really aren't built for that kind of use.

Oc-tober day 6: Some moa Moa-keeper.

Moa are not the only birds the Moa-keeper has in her grounds. Among her more troublesome specimens is a single Haast's eagle.

The eagle is kept in a large aviary, and is fed a rich diet of roadkill, rats, razorback and deer. They are kept in a more secluded part of the area to keep the other birds safe and calm.

However, despite safety precautions the Eagle has escaped from her aviary at least once, which didn't please the neighbours.

Decided to doodle some moa. As they only became extinct rather recently, we have a plethora of specimens, including mummified remains of skin and feathers. And from these three, we have details from their necks and/or heads.

From the upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) two complete heads are known. These are excuisite, and with a complete foot, a whole leg, feathers and more, we have a pretty good understanding of what it was like. The Bush moa ( Anomalopteryx didiformis) has one mummified skeleton with a well-preserved head and beak, and from the Eastern moa (Emeus crassus) a piece of neck skin is known, revealing it had at least a partially bald neck and head, not unlike that of the Emu or Cassowary. From these excuisite specimens one can get a glimpse of Moa diversity.

Meet Dindii. They're an Upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus).

They were among the first animals the Moa-keeper brought back with her equipment. Ever since, Dindii has lived quite happily in the garden, exploring the world.

Everyone who takes care of animals knows that it's not easy. The Moa-keeper is no exception. She has had her heart broken.

By adorable hatchling Moa, that is. After she hatched her first clutch, the little rascals have stolen and broken her heart with cuteness.

Oc-tober day 21: A significant other.

Moakeeper with her spouse, who worked as a seabird biologist for the local university, together birdwatcing.