Story: Land birds – overview

Huia

Huia

The huia, now extinct, was one of five species from an ancient New Zealand family, Callaeidae. The other two are the saddleback and kōkako. In common with these surviving relatives, the huia had a coloured wattle (skin at the base of the bill) and small wings for flying short distances, and it bounded through the forest on long, powerful legs. The last huia were sighted in the early 1900s.

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Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Reference: I.018657

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How to cite this page:

Kerry-Jayne Wilson, 'Land birds – overview - Weird and wonderful birds', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/object/9883/huia (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by Kerry-Jayne Wilson, published 24 Sep 2007, reviewed & revised 20 Apr 2015