Extinct Huia Bird in Glass Display

Cased huia bird male huia bird in good condition perched on a branch in a glass display. The huia is one of New Zealand 's best known extinct birds because of its bill shape, its sheer beauty, and special place in Maori culture and oral tradition. The bird was regarded by Maori as tapu (sacred), and the wearing of its skin or feathers was reserved for people of high status. The huia was a bird of deep metallic, bluish-black plumage with a greenish iridescence on the upper surface, especially around the head. The tail feathers were unique among endemic birds. Huia were hunted to obtain their long, striking tail feathers for locally fashionable hat decorations. The second major cause of extinction was the widespread deforestation of the lowlands of the North Island by settlers to create pasture for agriculture. Most of these forests were ancient, ecologically complex primary forests, and huia were not able to survive in regenerating secondary forests. The last confirmed sighting of a huia was on 28 December 1907 in the Tararua Ranges. Further credible sightings near Wellington were reported until 1922 and in Te Urewera National Park in the early 1960s. Length 35.5 cm. Height 33.5 cm. Depth 22.5 cm