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The Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris) was a bird that was native to New Zealand. It is now extinct, the last confirmed sighting being in 1907. The then Governor-General, the Earl of Onslow, tried to provide legal protection for the Huia but it was too little, too late. The bird was probably already in decline before the arrival of European settlers: in 1888, a party of 11 Maori obtained 646 Huia skins from the forest between the Manawatu Gorge and Akitio.

The bird had blue-black plumage, with white tail feather tips, and a bright orange wattle. The male's beak was short and straight while the female's beak was long and curved, a striking example of sexual dimorphism. A recording of the bird's song does exist.

The Huia's distinctive black tail feathers tipped with white were often worn by Maori chiefs as a sign of their status. This custom was later adopted by Pakeha women as a symbol of social standing. The visit of the Prince of WalesThe eldest son of the reigning monarch of Great Britain is traditionally invested with the title of Prince of Wales . This tradition began in 1301, when King Edward I of England, having completed the Norman conquest of Wales, gave the title to his heir, P, later King Edward VIIIEdward VIII Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David , later His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor ( 23 June 1894 28 May 1972) was the second British monarch of the House of Windsor. He reigned as the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britai, to New Zealand in 1905Events January-April January 22 Massacre of Russian demonstrators at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, one of the triggers of the abortive Russian Revolution of 1905. January 26 The Cullinan Diamond is found near Pretoria, South Africa at the Premier produced a frenzied demand for Huia feathers among all classes of social climbers and the bird was reported extinct shortly afterwards.

A serious project has been started in the area to investigate the possible cloningCloning is the process of creating an identical copy of an original. A clone in the biological sense, therefore, is a multi-cellular organism that is genetically identical to another living organism. Sometimes this can refer to "natural" clones made eithe of the bird from the remains of stuffed specimens.

The bird shares its name with a small community in WaitakereWaitakere City UrbanArea Area 82 km² (23% of City land area) Extent East to New Lynn and Green Bay. South to Manukau Harbour. West to Waitakere Ranges foothills. North to West Harbour. TerritorialAuthority Name Waitakere City Population 185,600 (2003 est., where it was once found.