Long out-of-print reference work

THE very FINEST reference book ever written on our UNIQUE avian TAONGA that was our sacred HUIA bird

FIRST EDITION in EXCELLENT CONDITION some foxing to the original dustjacket

Dust-jacket with tiny tears & some minor staining inside

61 YEARS OLD

A recent sale of a Huia FEATHER (1) for $46,521.00 has not devalued this rare book in any way

https://tinyurl.com/Huia-feather-SOLD

Last night's TV News said ANOTHER was to be auctioned

The beautiful forest dwelling Huia, LAST SIGHTED in 1907 (although there were credible sightings as late as early 1960s) Now presumed to be extinct for something like 100+ years The Huia was a species of NZ wattlebird, endemic to the North Island

Its extinction had 2 primary causes. The 1st was rampant overhunting to procure Huia skins for mounted specimens & their tail feathers for hat decorations. The 2nd major cause was the widespread deforestation of the lowlands of the North Island by European settlers to create pasture Most of these forests were ancient, ecologically complex primary forests & Huia were unable to survive in regenerating forest

It was already a rare bird before the arrival of Europeans, confined to the Ruahine, Tararua, Rimutaka & Kaimanawa mountain ranges in the south-east of the North Island. It was remarkable for having the most pronounced sexual dimorphism in bill shape of any bird species in the world

The female's beak was long, thin & arched downward, while the male's was short & stout, like that of a crow

Males 45 cm long, females 48 cm

The sexes were otherwise similar, with orange wattles & deep metallic, bluish-black plumage with a greenish iridescence on the upper surface, especially about the head

The tail feathers were unique among endemic birds in having a broad white band across the tips

To the Maori, it was a tapu bird, sacred above all other denizens of the forest, a royal bird, that only Chiefs of distinction could properly wear its remarkable, white-tipped tail feathers