Archaeological sites with evidence of moa hunting are all over New Zealand The moa became extinct about five hundred years ago 19 Extinctions closer to today have been caused by habitat change and introduced species like rats , dogs , cats, and possums, which kill the native birds and lizards, or eat their eggsMar 17, 14 · The moa bones were collected from five fossil sites on New Zealand's South Island, and ranged in age from 12,966 to 602 years old The researchers analyzed mitochondrial and nuclear DNA from theJan 10, 19 · The tallest and heaviest bird that ever lived was the Emulike Moa of New Zealand, which grew to a dizzying height of 1214 ft and weighed in at 600 pounds It was thought to have been hunted to extinction by 1400 AD But some recent evidence suggests otherwise Moa Te Ara Encyclopedia Of New Zealand New zealand maori name