Tag #Island Gigantism

What caused the extinction of Haast's eagle, and what are the broader implications of this event for understanding ecological fragility?

Haast's eagle, the largest eagle ever, weighed up to 33 pounds with an 8-10 foot wingspan, preying on giant moas in New Zealand. Its extinction by the mid-1400s resulted from the arrival of humans and subsequent moa hunting, eliminating its primary food source.