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Sydney Portei—Notes on Neiu Zealand Birds


The Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris )


After mentioning the Wattled Crows I feel that I should not be

doing justice to the birds of New Zealand if I failed to mention the

Huia, the most unique of all the native birds and a near relation of

the Crows. So famous is this bird that there are numerous “ Huia

Streets ”, ships are called after it, many brands of commercial articles

are called “ The Huia Brand ” of so-and-so ; it is even a boy’s

Christian name.


The final extermination of the Huia was brought about in a peculiar

way indirectly by the present king of England who visited the colony

about 1905. The black-and-white tail feathers had always been a mark

of great distinction when worn in the hair by the Maoris. Only the

chiefs and those of high rank were allowed to use them and these feathers

formed the basis of a considerable trade or barter between the different

tribes. There was to be a great gathering of the Maoris. Huia feathers

were in great demand for the auspicious occasion, but the question was

how to get them, for the Huia was then very rare.


A party of Maoris discovered what must have been the last existing

colony of these birds. The slaughter was great. The feathers were

sold for 75. 6 d. each, and the killers reaped a rich harvest. So passed

away one of the world’s most interesting birds.


The Huia was a large bird the size of a crow, of a glossy black,

the end of the fairly long tail feathers being white. At the base of

the beak was a large orange-coloured wattle. The most remarkable

feature of the bird was that the male possessed a fairly stout, pointed

beak, similar to that of a woodpecker, while the female’s was long,

thin, and curved into almost a semicircle. The birds appeared to work

in conjunction, the male chipping away decayed portions of trees to

obtain the succulent “ huhu ” grubs. If the grub was out of reach of

the male bird the female would be called in, and she with her specially-

adapted bill would secure the dainty.


At first the male and female were described as different species

but, as soon as the peculiarity was first noted, the skins became a very

desirable addition to the cabinets of collectors. There was an extensive

massacre and in less than fifty years after its discovery the Huia was

almost extinct. Buffer, the great New Zealand ornithologist, helped



