A bird so tall, you’d have to look up to meet its eyes. The South Island giant moa - found only in New Zealand - was one of the largest birds that ever lived. With its neck fully raised, this colossal ratite could reach 12 feet (3.6 m) in height and weigh more than 500 pounds (230 kg). But here’s the wild part: Despite its size, the moa had no wings at all—not even the tiny vestigial wings seen in other flightless birds like ostriches or emus. It evolved in a land with zero mammalian predators,

The elephant bird was a giant, flightless bird that lived in Madagascar and is believed to have gone extinct around 1,000 years ago. It could grow over 10 feet tall and lay the largest eggs of any known animal, some larger than a basketball. #ExtinctGiants #ElephantBird | Lost World Museum