So what about moas, then? Could moas the size of large turkeys still exist among the kiwis (pun intended)?
Are there reports of surviving moa birds from the Fiordlands in New Zealand, or elsewhere in NZ?
The Moa (a group of nine species of flightless birds, some reaching 3.7 meters in height) is officially extinct, but it remains one of New Zealand’s most persistent "ghost" legends.
Here is the breakdown of reports from Fiordland and beyond:
1. The "Recent" Sighting: Paddy Freaney (1993)
The most famous modern report occurred in January 1993 in the Craigieburn Range (near Arthur's Pass, North of Fiordland).
The Account: Paddy Freaney, a former SAS soldier and hotelier, claimed he and two companions saw a 2-meter tall, reddish-brown bird. He even managed to take a blurry photograph.
The Verdict: Experts were divided. Some argued it was a red deer or a large emu (which are sometimes kept as pets in NZ), while others felt Freaney’s background made him a credible witness. No physical evidence (feathers or droppings) was ever found at the site.
2. The Fiordland "Blue" Moa: Alice McKenzie (1880)
One of the most compelling historical accounts comes from Martins Bay, Fiordland.
The Account: As a 7-year-old, Alice McKenzie claimed to have seen a large, blue-feathered bird sitting on the sand.
She described it as having no tail and thick, green-scaled legs. She even claimed to have sat near it and touched its back before it chased her. The Identification: Decades later, she was shown a picture of a Takahe (which was thought extinct at the time but rediscovered in Fiordland in 1948). She insisted the bird she saw was much larger—more like a small species of Moa (the Bush Moa).
3. Historical European Reports (1800s)
In the 19th century, numerous "Moa hunts" were sparked by reports from sealers and explorers:
1820s: A sealer named George Pauley claimed to see a 20-foot (6m) bird in Otago.
1850s: Reports emerged of hunters finding Moa bones with fresh flesh and feathers still attached in caves.
While this sounds like proof of survival, the cold, dry conditions of some NZ caves are known to preserve biological material for centuries, meaning the "fresh" meat could have been 500 years old.
4. Why Experts are Skeptical
While the terrain of Fiordland is vast enough to hide a small population, scientists point to two main "missing" pieces:
Ecological Impact: Moa were massive herbivores.
If they were still around, we would see "moa-browsing" patterns on trees (which have a very specific look compared to deer-browsing). The "Moa-Trail" Rule: Many of New Zealand’s modern highways follow ancient trails carved by Moa.
Experts argue that in a country with so many hikers and hunters, a bird that large would have been hit by a car or caught on a clear high-resolution trail camera by now.
The "De-Extinction" Connection (2026 Update)
As of March 2026, the biotech company Colossal Biosciences (the same group working on the Woolly Mammoth) has officially listed the South Island Giant Moa as a candidate for "de-extinction."
Fun Fact: If you are still looking at the sky in Stockholm, the Moon has now moved into Cancer, which in astrology rules over "extinct" or "ancestral" things. It's a fitting time to be thinking about the ghosts of the New Zealand bush.
Would you like me to create an image of what a "Bush Moa" might look like hiding in the shadows of a New Zealand forest?
There are reports of "small moas" from NZ. Are these the same as the so-called bush moas?
Yes, you've hit on a key distinction in the Moa mystery. When people talk about "small moas," they are almost always referring to the Little Bush Moa (Anomalopteryx didiformis), but there were actually a few different species that could fit that description.
Here is how the "small moa" family tree breaks down:
1. The Little Bush Moa (The Primary Suspect)
This is the species most often cited in modern sighting reports (like the Alice McKenzie story).
Size: Roughly the size of a large turkey or a small ostrich (about 1 to 1.3 meters tall).
Habitat: As the name suggests, they lived in the dense, high-altitude forests and "bush" rather than the open plains.
Survival Theory: Because they lived in the most rugged, inaccessible parts of the North and South Islands (like Fiordland), many cryptozoologists believe they could have survived much longer than their giant, plain-dwelling cousins.
2. The Upland Moa (Megalapteryx didinus)
This is the other "small" moa often confused with the Bush Moa.
Size: Similar in height to the Bush Moa, but more robust.
The "Feathered" Moa: This is the only species known to have had feathers all the way down to its feet, likely an adaptation for the cold alpine environments of the South Island.
The "Recent" Proof: The famous Mount Owen Moa Claw (found in a cave in 1986) belonged to an Upland Moa. It was so perfectly preserved with skin, muscle, and claws that it looked fresh, though it was actually about 3,000 years old.
Comparison Table: Small Moas
| Feature | Little Bush Moa | Upland Moa |
| Scientific Name | Anomalopteryx didiformis | Megalapteryx didinus |
| Height | ~1 meter (waist high) | ~1 meter (waist high) |
| Habitat | Dense low-to-mid forest | High-altitude alpine/caves |
| Feathers | Likely stopped at the thigh | Covered the entire leg |
| Likely Sighting | The "Alice McKenzie" bird | The "Mount Owen" type |
Why the distinction matters
If a Moa is still alive today, it is almost certainly one of these two. The Giant Moa (Dinornis) stood 3.7 meters tall and would be impossible to miss. However, a Bush Moa is roughly the same height as a red deer—if you saw one darting through the thick ferns of Fiordland at dusk, your brain might even try to "autocorrect" it into a deer or a large fern.
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