The huia is one of New Zealand's best-known extinct birds because of its bill shape and beauty, as well as its special place in Māori culture and oral tradition. The bird was regarded by Māori as tapu (sacred), and the wearing of its skin or feathers was reserved for people of high status.

The iconic huia was the largest of the five New Zealand wattlebird species. It was a striking large songbird, mainly black with long white-tipped tail feathers.

Sep 15, 2024 · Like the likely extinct South Island kōkako, the huia belonged to the family Callaeidae, or wattlebirds, which are endemic to the islands of New Zealand. The huia typically had black plumage with a greenish sheen, and its brightly colored orange wattles on either side of the base of its ivory-colored beak were striking and unmistakable.

In the late 19th century, news of a strange antipodean bird with beautiful tail feathers, orange wattles, and a long curved beak spread around the British Empire. To Māori, it was a tapu bird—a sacred treasure. And its song was about to be silenced forever.

Huia were last seen alive in 1907, according to official records. But the New Zealand bird artist Raymond Ching tells another story. A Wellington taxidermist killed a trio of the birds in 1912, Ching believes—and surreptitiously stuffed them.

Aug 19, 2023 · The Huia was a bird of deep metallic, bluish-black plumage with a greenish iridescence on the upper surface, especially about the head, not unlike the Tui. The tail feathers were unique among endemic birds in having a broad white band across tips.

Callaeidae (sometimes Callaeatidae) is a family of passerine birds endemic to New Zealand. It contains three genera, with five species in the family. One species, the huia, became extinct early in the 20th century, while the South Island kōkako is critically endangered and may be extinct.

Dec 7, 2021 · The beaks of male and female huia are so different that the two sexes were originally described as two separate species. But what is the reason behind that difference? Natural History Curator Rodrigo Salvador takes us through recent research.

Jul 12, 2023 · The Huia, (IPA: [hui]) (Heteralocha acutirostris) was a species of New Zealand Wattlebird endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. It became extinct in the early 20th century, primarily as a result of overhunting and widespread habitat destruction, and partially due to collection for museums.

The huia (Heteralocha acutirostris) has long had iconic significance in New Zealand because of its beauty. The white-tipped tail feathers were a revered taonga (treasure) for Māori at the time of European arrival.