The bush moa was first scientifically described as Dinornis didiformis by Richard Owen in 1844.

He chose the specific name didiformis because of the apparent similarity in the shape and size of the bush moas' tarsometatarsus to that of the dodo (then Didus ineptus).

[6][7] It possessed a sturdy, sharp-edged beak, suggesting that its diet was made up of twigs and other tough plant material.

[6] The species went extinct alongside other native New Zealand wildlife around 500-600 years ago, following the arrival and proliferation of the Māori people in New Zealand (who called them "moariki"),[1] as well as the introduction of Polynesian dogs.

[6] The most complete remains, a partially articulated skeleton with substantial mummified tissue and feathers, were discovered in 1980 in Lake Echo Valley, east of Te Anau, Southland.