New Zealand extinct huia birds expected to have huge pay day at auction

A Victorian taxidermy display featuring a rare pair of New Zealand huia. Photo / Kinghams Auctioneers

A very rare heritage taxidermy piece is going under the hammer - and is expected to sell for a pretty penny.

Next week, a Victorian taxidermy display featuring a pair of New Zealand huia birds will be sold at auction for a predicted six-figure sum.

UK auction house Kinghams are offering the huia in their Fine and Decorative Arts auction on July 25 and 26. Photo / Kinghams Auctioneers

The rare exhibition of birds, which became extinct in 1907, will be sold by United Kingdom-based auction house Kinghams as part of their fine and decorative arts auction on July 25 and 26.

In 2023, a pair of huia birds broke auction records after being bought for £220,000 ($469,304) at a British auction, signalling a high-priced interest in extinct animal species.

Here in New Zealand, a single huia tail feather sold for a whopping $46,521 at Webb’s Auction in May this year.

The five-figure sale marked a record-breaking moment, reportedly making it the most expensive feather in the world.

Leah Morris, head of decorative arts at Webb’s Auction House, said: “We are very pleased that this rare item of natural history has achieved such huge bidder interest, highlighting the fragility of our ecosystem and the importance of looking after its fauna”.

The huia tail feather that sold for $46,521 at Webb’s Auction in May.

Huia are sacred in Māori culture. The birds were considered taonga (treasures) and used as symbols of nobility, leadership and hierarchy. The white-tipped tail feathers with their blue-green metallic sheen were donned in headpieces by chiefs and people of great mana to signify status and rank.

Before becoming King, a young George V embarked on a royal tour of Aotearoa. During the visit, the young royal was presented with a huia tail feather by a Māori chief as a sign of respect. This gesture saw interest in huia feathers skyrocket in Britain, particularly for the embellishing of Edwardian hats, and the species soon became endangered, then extinct.

Now, huia specimens are incredibly rare and hard to come by, particularly displays showcasing a male and female together, thus making the taxidermy display a significant piece of Aotearoa’s ecological heritage.