North Otago artist Matt King, of Herbert, has now begun work on a Haast’s eagle sculpture to be affixed above the 3m-tall found-metal sculpture of the moa he created a few years ago.
Following the dimensions of the giant extinct South Island eagle from Richard N Holdaway’s reference book The Lost World of the Moa: Prehistoric life of New Zealand, the life-size version of the bird would be "representative of the biggest one that ever lived," Mr King said.
With a wingspan closer to 4m than 3m, the bird would be affixed to a power pole as if it were reaching out for its prey, the moa, with its talons.
Both animals would be the result of cutting and welding together scrap metal Mr King found for the project.
He said the skeleton of the second extinct species was now "99%" complete, in large part due to the generosity of the people of Duntroon, where he fossicked for the scrap metal.
"If I couldn’t find a mould board, I’d be fairly jiggered," Mr King said.
"I would then have to start fabricating."
But all that remained to be found were "a few more old scythe blades" that he would use for the bird’s wings.
Nicol’s Blacksmith Historic Trust trustee Mike Gray said the trust had commissioned the work because "we want Duntroon to be different". Locals "love" the moa Mr King had already created.
"If you look at the parts of it, it tells the story of the blacksmith shop."
Mr King said the Haast’s eagle would be finished before the end of winter, weather-dependent.
