Tony O’Keefe’s ‘Primary 3’ is a full size replica of a Haast’s eagle’s 3rd primary wing feather.
At 75cm high it gives a very real feel for the tremendous scale of New Zealand’s famous giant eagle.

Sold by artbay gallery

The Haast’s Eagle

Harpagornis moorei

The Largest Bird of Prey on Earth.
Known in legend as Pouakai there is little doubt that the first human visitors to New Zealand would have fallen victim to this most terrifying of aerial predators!
With a wingspan of 3 metres, and weighing up to 13 kilograms the Haast’s eagle is the largest eagle ever to have existed in the world.
Māori settlers arriving in New Zealand around the year 1280 preyed heavily on large flightless birds, including all moa species, eventually hunting them to extinction by around 1400.
The loss of moa, its main prey and food source, caused the Haast’s eagle to become extinct at about the same time.