The South Island giant moa is a member of the moa family. It was a ratite and a member of the order Dinornithiformes. The Dinornithiformes are flightless birds with a sternum without a keel. They also have a distinctive palate.
Thought to have been extinct for 6,000 years, there are still some that remain alive on Primeval Island. In fact they are among the most common birds there, alongside Archaeopteryx, Hieraaetus, Argentavis, Ichthyornis, Iberomesornis, and Titanis.