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Rare egg of extinct giant moa bird to return to New Zealand after 60 years in US collection
After nearly six decades in a US collection, a rare moa egg is returning to New Zealand.
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A rare egg belonging to an extinct giant bird is set to return to New Zealand after spending nearly 60 years in a private collection in the United States. The egg, which dates back to a species that once roamed the country, was purchased by biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences at an auction earlier this year. It will be handed over to Māori researchers and cultural leaders in December.
Why is the rare moa egg returning to New Zealand?
According to a Colossal Biosciences announcement published through PR Newswire, the egg was discovered in New Zealand on January 14, 1966. It later entered a private American collection before resurfacing at an auction in Colorado in June 2026, when the company bought it specifically to bring it home.
Measuring approximately 22 cm long and 17 cm wide, the egg has been reconstructed from numerous fragments, with some pieces still awaiting restoration.
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The find is particularly significant because fewer than 40 substantially complete moa eggs are known in public collections worldwide. Only eight retain at least 90% of their original shells, according to the company.
What was the moa, the giant bird that went extinct?
Moas were flightless birds native to New Zealand. According to People, nine species once lived in the country, ranging from birds roughly the size of turkeys to the South Island giant moa, which could stand nearly 12 feet tall with its neck extended and weigh more than 500 pounds.
The birds disappeared around 600 years ago, within two centuries of Polynesian settlement in New Zealand.
Filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson, who is involved in the company's moa research partnership, said the extinct birds remained an important part of New Zealand's cultural memory. He helped draw attention to the egg after learning it was being sold outside the country, prompting discussions with Colossal about securing its return.
How will researchers study the rare egg?
The egg will be entrusted to representatives of Ngāi Tahu, the Māori people whose ancestors lived alongside moa on New Zealand's South Island.
Researchers hope its examination could help establish which moa species laid it and where it originated. However, any future scientific testing will be guided by Ngāi Tahu researchers and Māori cultural practices.
Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis said the egg could reveal information about the bird, the landscape it came from and potentially the people connected to it.
Colossal is also collaborating with New Zealand partners on research exploring whether moa could one day be brought back through de-extinction technology.
