Coprolites helped them confirm that moa feasted on colorful native fungi—and, by doing so, the ostrich-like creatures might have helped maintain healthy forests on the South Pacific island.

Given that they’re, y’know, dead, it’s hard to discern much about the life of extinct creatures like the little bush moa, a turkey-sized emu lookalike that strutted around New Zealand until ...

The ostrich is the largest bird in the world ... The tallest bird to ever exist was the extinct South Island giant moa, native to New Zealand. Female giant moas could reach nearly 12 feet tall.

The Arabian ostrich was once common in the desert regions ... century could also have led to the extinction of these birds. Moa were large, flightless birds that lived in New Zealand for millions ...

Coprolites helped them confirm that moa feasted on colorful native fungi—and, by doing so, the ostrich-like creatures might have helped maintain healthy forests on the South Pacific island.