Huia (SciiFii)

The huia ( Māori: [ˈhʉiˌa]; Heteralocha acutirostris) is a species of New Zealand wattlebird, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. The huia was once extinct since 1907, although there were credible sightings into the 1960s, due to rampant overhunting and widespread deforestation of the lowlands of the North Island by European settlers to create pasture for agriculture, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to throughout New Zealand to help boost biodiversity. The huia is remarkable for having the most pronounced sexual dimorphism in bill shape of any bird species in the world. The female's beak is long, thin and arched downward, while the male's is short and stout, like that of a crow. Males are 45 cm (18 inches) long, while females are larger at 48 cm (19 inches). The sexes are otherwise similar, with orange wattles and deep metallic, bluish-black plumage with a greenish iridescence on the upper surface, especially about the head. The tail feathers are unique among New Zealand birds in having a broad white band across the tips. The huias live in forests at both montane and lowland elevations – they move seasonally, living at higher elevation in summer and descending to lower elevation in winter. Huia are omnivorous and feed on adult insects, grubs and spiders, as well as the fruits of a small number of native plants. Males and females use their beaks to feed in different ways: the male uses his bill to chisel away at rotting wood, while the female's longer, more flexible bill is able to probe deeper areas. The huia is one of New Zealand's best-known birds because of its bill shape, its sheer beauty and special place in Māori culture and oral tradition. The bird is regarded by Māori as tapu (sacred), and the wearing of its skin or feathers was reserved for people of high status. The conservation status of the huia is Near Threatened due to some habitat loss and historic poaching, however, thanks to the conservationists, the huia is a protected species.