The “Down Under bird that scientists are working to de‑extinct” is the giant moa , a large flightless bird native to New Zealand that went extinct several hundred years ago.

What this clue is about

  • The phrase “Down Under bird” points to Australasia, and in this case specifically New Zealand.
  • The “de‑extinct” part refers to current biotechnology projects aiming to use ancient DNA and gene editing to recreate or approximate lost species.

The giant moa in a nutshell

  • Giant moas were enormous flightless birds, with multiple species once roaming New Zealand before being wiped out by overhunting and habitat changes.
  • A de‑extinction company, Colossal Biosciences, has publicly announced plans to try to revive all nine moa species using advanced genome editing, positioning the bird as a showcase candidate for de‑extinction.

Why it’s trending now

  • De‑extinction projects (like those for the woolly mammoth, dodo, and now the giant moa) are hot topics in science news and pop culture, which is why this clue appears in recent puzzles and discussions.
  • The moa is especially appealing because its ecosystem in New Zealand is relatively well studied, and DNA material from subfossil remains is in comparatively good condition, making it a more realistic candidate than very ancient species.

Answer for the post title:
The “down under bird that scientists are working to de‑extinct” is the giant moa.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.