Feather from extinct bird Huia sold in New Zealand for record amount

The feather of the extinct bird huia, which was once only worn by Maori chiefs, sold at auction for 46.5 thousand New Zealand dollars – forty times more expensive than gold.

The sold feather became the most expensive feather in the world. Previously, the record holder was another huia feather, for which in 2010 they paid 8.4 thousand New Zealand dollars. The buyer is known to reside in New Zealand. A feather, which has the status of a “genuine treasure,” can be taken out of the country only with the permission of the authorities.

Huia, which reached a length of 48 centimeters, was sacred to the indigenous population of New Zealand – the Maori. Only leaders and other privileged people could wear its long black feathers with a green tint. The last official sighting of the huyu was in 1907, although they are believed to have been alive in the 1920s.

Collectors from all over the world want to purchase high-status parts of huia. In 2023 in the UK sold a pair of stuffed huias for 466 thousand New Zealand dollars. At the time, activists in New Zealand called on authorities to intervene and bring the effigies home.