Huia
/ˈhuːiə/noun
An extinct New Zealand wattlebird, especially noted for its strikingly different male and female bills.
Did you know?Māori traditionally regarded huia feathers as chiefly insignia, while the bird itself displayed one of the most extreme differences between male and female bills known in birds.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-European Māori
Māori
huia
“The Māori name for the now-extinct New Zealand wattlebird; the word’s deeper origin is uncertain.”
18th Century
Māori
huia
“A living forest bird whose tail feathers were associated with chiefly status and prestige.”
1773
English
huia
“The bird was recorded by European observers during Cook’s voyages and in subsequent natural-history accounts.”
19th Century
English
huia
“An English loanword for the New Zealand bird, also used in descriptions of its feathers.”
1907
English
huia
“The species was last reliably recorded alive in the North Island of New Zealand, though later reports persisted.”
Modern English
English
huia
“A historical and zoological term for Heteralocha acutirostris, an extinct New Zealand bird.”