A rare and valuable feather from the extinct New Zealand huia bird was sold for 46,521 New Zealand dollars, equivalent to 28,365 US dollars, making it the most expensive feather ever sold at auction. The Webb’s auction house reported that the feather, which was initially expected to reach a price of 3,000 dollars, shattered the previous record for a feather of the same type by 450%.
The huia was the largest species of wattlebird in New Zealand, known for its beautiful songs, glossy black feathers, and long tail feathers that tend to be white. The last confirmed sighting of the huia was in 1907, although it is believed that the species may have survived into the 1920s. The bird was sacred to the Māori and featured in songs and sayings, while wearing its feathers was reserved for chiefs and important individuals. When Europeans arrived in New Zealand, these birds were already rare, but the subsequent European obsession with their feathers led to their extinction.
