The term DEAD BIRD can be summarized by two crossword solutions: MOA and DODO. MOA is a three-letter word that refers to an extinct species of large, flightless bird native to New Zealand. The DODO is a four-letter word that refers to an extinct species of flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Both species of birds were hunted to extinction by humans in the 17th and 18th centuries.