How much is a huia feather worth?
How much would you pay for a feather? In June 2010 a single huia tail feather sold at auction in Auckland for NZ$8,000 – making it the world’s most expensive feather ever. The previous ‘record-holder’ was the American bald eagle, with an eagle feather selling for a mere NZ$4,000 at a US auction.
Why huia bird feather is expensive?
Te Papa researcher Hokimate Harwood, who researches bird feathers, said huia feathers were valuable to Maori because they were associated with high-ranking people, and they were now generally valuable because the huia was extinct.
What do huia feathers mean?
leadership and mana
The huia feather is a revered treasure for Māori and symbolises leadership and mana. The feathers from the tail of the huia were particularly prized and were worn in the hair or around the neck by both men and women. Feathers were often stored in intricately carved boxes known as wakahuia.
Is huia still alive?
The last huia seen alive were two males and a female on December 28, 1907. A few stragglers may have survived beyond this date, with unconfirmed sightings of large black birds with orange wattles and white-tipped tail feathers persisting into the 1920s.
What does a huia feather look like?
The huia was a magpie-sized glossy black bird. In fresh plumage, the black feathers had a green and bluish-purple metallic sheen. The long black tail feathers had 2-3 cm white-tips, forming a bold white band across the tail-tip. The bill was pale ivory grading to bluish-grey at the base, and yellow at the gape.
What bird is the most expensive?
Racing pigeons
Which is the most expensive bird in the world? Racing pigeons are the most expensive birds in the world, usally selling for up to $1.4 million, followed by the Palm or Goliath Cockatoo.
How long is a huia feather?
Huia had twelve long glossy black tail feathers, each tipped for 2.5–3 cm (0.98–1.18 in) with a broad band of white. Immature huia had small pale wattles, duller plumage flecked with brown, and a reddish-buff tinge to the white tips of the tail feathers. The beak of the young female was only slightly curved.
Why did huia go extinct?
Genetic study indicates huia had “moderate to high” historical population of 34,000 to 89,000 birds; probably higher pre-human settlement. Predation by introduced mammals and, to a lesser extent, human hunting, was the likely cause of huia extinction.
What does huia mean Māori?
Definition of huia : a bird (Neomorpha acutirostris or Heteralocha acutirostris) related to the starlings, confined to a small region in the mountains of New Zealand, and having black white-tipped tail feathers prized by Maori chiefs and worn as insignia of rank.
Are blue parrots extinct?
Vulnerable (Population decreasing)Hyacinth macaw / Conservation status
THE single feather of an extinct New Zealand bird has been sold at an Auckland auction for more than $NZ8000 ($6470), a world record price. Bidding for the huia feather was estimated to reach between $NZ500 ($404) and $NZ700 ($565) when it went under the hammer at Webb’s Auction House last week, the Dominion Post said.
What does a huia bird look like?
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. Female and male huia had dramatically different bill sizes and shapes; this was the most extreme sexual bill dimorphism of any bird species.
Is the huia bird extinct?
The single feather belonged to the Huia bird, which is thought to be extinct and has not been seen since 1907. The black and white feathers were traditionally used to adorn Maori chiefs. The single feather that went under the hammer had been verified as authentic by experts from New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa.
What bird has a single feather on its head?
The single feather belonged to the Huia bird, which is thought to be extinct and has not been seen since 1907. The black and white feathers were traditionally used to adorn Maori chiefs.