- Conservation status
- Extinct
The huia was an iconic songbird and a taonga for Māori, with glossy black plumage, an orange wattle and prized white-tipped tailfeathers. Males had a short, crow-esque beak, while the female's beak was long and arched. Huia were present in the North Island, and both introduced predators and human hunting contributed to their extinction. The last official huia sighting was in 1907 in the Tararua Ranges, but a few likely survived into the 1920s.
Campaign Manager
Te Tira Huia
Kia ora my name is Te Huia Kaimanawa, but everyone calls me Huia. I am leading Te Tira Huia, the team campaigning for the Huia to be our Bird of the Century.
I am very excited to be working on this campaign along side a wonderful collection of creative people from around Aotearoa who are generously contributing their talents and unique perspectives to this project.
Our goal as Te Tira Huia is to celebrate the memory and the legacy of the Huia. By honouring this iconic species we hope to highlight the fragility of our endangered birds that remain and the importance of conservation to ensure they to do not become extinct.
Head over to our social media to keep up to date on our campaign. We are going to be running several events once voting opens, so keep an eye out for more details.
Huia e huia, tangata kotahi.
Huia, your destiny is to bring everyone together.
- Share your vote
