Post by Infinity Blade on Jan 7, 2021 6:11:36 GMT 5
Huia – Heteralocha acutirostris
An 1888 painting of a female (top) and male (bottom) by John Gerrard Keulemans. This painting appears in Walter Lawry Buller’s book A History of the Birds of New Zealand.
Temporal range: Holocene (last confirmed sighting in December 28, 1907)[1][2]
Scientific classification:
Life
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Olfactores
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Reptilia
Clade: Eureptilia
Clade: Romeriida
Clade: Diapsida
Clade: Neodiapsida
Clade: Archelosauria
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Clade: Crurotarsi
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Avemetatarsalia
Clade: Ornithodira
Clade: Dinosauromorpha
Clade: Dinosauriformes
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Clade: Eusaurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Clade: Neotheropoda
Clade: Averostra
Clade: Tetanurae
Clade: Orionides
Clade: Avetheropoda
Clade: Coelurosauria
Clade: Tyrannoraptora
Clade: Maniraptoriformes
Clade: Maniraptora
Clade: Pennaraptora
Clade: Paraves
Clade: Eumaniraptora
Clade: Averaptora
Clade: Avialae
Clade: Euavialae
Clade: Avebrevicauda
Clade: Pygostylia
Clade: Ornithothoraces
Clade: Euornithes
Clade: Orithuromorpha
Clade: Ornithurae
Clade: Neornithes
Infraclass: Neognathae
Clade: Eufalconimorphae
Clade: Psittacopasserae
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Parvorder: Corvida
Superfamily: Corvoidea
Family: Callaeidae
Genus: †Heteralocha
Species: †H. acutirostris
The huia is an extinct species of wattlebird (Callaeidae) that was confined to the North Island of New Zealand until the early 20th century CE.
Description:
Females were slightly larger than males, at 48 and 45 cm, respectively, and the huia was the largest of the wattlebirds. Adult birds generally had black feathers with a green gloss. The end of the tail feathers was white. The wattles of this species were orange, and the beak had an ivory color. The iris was brown, while the legs and feet were black. Juveniles differed from the adults in that their plumage was a duller brown color, with the distal tail band being washed rufous. Māori have claimed that individuals from the Rhine range had a broader white distal tail band, but this has yet to be substantiated.[1]
Some completely white individuals have been known. One specimen (clearly a female, given the long curved beak) was illustrated (but not published on) by J.G. Keulemans in a piece titled ‘Three Huia’. Keulemans probably based the illustration off of a mounted specimen, and so its dark eye would not have been a real feature of the animal. It is unlikely that this specimen was a true albino, given the vulnerability albinos have in the wild (due to their poor eyesight). Similarly, leucism and progressive greying have also been ruled out. This individual was probably ino, since this condition is not uncommon, does not give birds poor eyesight, and can make birds fully white. Also, the fact that it is a female strongly supports the recessive and sex-linked mutation characteristics of inos.[2]
Supposedly, several true albinos are known as well.[3] It is unknown if these claims hold up to scrutiny or if these specimens are simply inos like the one painted in ‘Three Huia’.
‘Three Huia’, painted c. 1900 by J.G. Keulemans.
The most notable physical feature of the huia is the pronounced sexual dimorphism seen in the bill. Males had short, straight bills while females had long, thin, and downcurved bills.[1][2]
Biology:
The extreme sexual dimorphism seen in the bills of the species reflects differing foraging strategies by the two sexes. Males would use the short, straight, and robust bill to chisel through hard substrate (e.g. wood) to reach insect larvae.[1][2] The species had well-developed jaw musculature for gaping; that is, the bill would be inserted through substrate, and the jaws could be opened wide to pull apart substrate with great force.[1] In fact, the huia might have been more specialized for this than any living bird.[4] On the other hand, the female’s long, slender, and curved bill was used to probe into crevices.[1][2] One proposal for why this sexual dimorphism existed was to reduce intraspecific competition between the two sexes, and to exploit a wide variety of food items in various microhabitats.[1] The rhamphotheca aside, the bone cores of the beaks do seem to differ to an extent, and females had more gracile palatal bones. However, overall, the skulls were similar to each other in both sexes, and there is at least one skull where the sex is uncertain.[4]
Insects were the primary food source of the huia, particularly the grubs of the huhu beetle (Prionoplus reticularis). Also eaten were various wetas, other insect larvae, and fruit. Foraging was primarily done on rotting wood or bark, and on mosses and lichens.[1]
This species mostly lived in montane and lowland hardwood-podicarp forests with dense understory. Sometimes it also could be found in Nothofagus forests, with some seasonal altitudinal movements. These birds began breeding in early summer. The nest was ~35 cm wide with a small depression that the birds lined with an unspecified finer material. Two to four greyish eggs with brown or purple markings were laid in the nest.[1]
For the most part, the huia was a quiet bird. On the occasion that it did vocalize, however, it would produce whistles and a soft flute-like song. This call could be heard in dense forest up to 400 meters away.[1]
Extinction:
Subfossil remains indicate that the huia was once widespread throughout North Island. Although the Māori did not drive the huia into extinction (like so many other native New Zealand birds), they did destroy enough habitat (and possibly hunt enough birds) to reduce its range such that, by the second half of the 19th century, the huia was confined to southern North Island. To the Māori, the huia was sacred. Chiefs kept tail feathers in their headdresses, and elaborately carved wooden boxes also held these feathers.[1]
Europeans exacerbated habitat destruction by clearing forests for agriculture, and this was probably the primary reason for the huia’s decline. Apparently, the huia needed old forest growth to survive, and could not settle for secondary forest growth. Europeans also hunted huia for museum specimens (especially as the species became rarer) and for ornaments (made from feathers and beaks), to the point where thousands of specimens were collected. This was worse than Māori hunting because while the Māori only allowed for seasonal hunting when the tail feathers were in peak condition, Europeans hunted them year-round. The Māori are known to have rebuked Europeans for their simultaneous heavy demand on huia feathers and destruction of habitat. Also threatening to the primarily terrestrial huias were ferrets, stoats, and weasels.[1]
The last confirmed sighting was in December 28, 1907 by ornithologist W.W. Smith. There is, however, a second-hand report that “strongly suggests” that the huia may have survived until at least 1924. The people involved in this report (the reporter and a captain) went on expeditions that same year to find the bird, but this proved fruitless.[1]
Sightings persisted well into the 20th century, even as late as 1961, but the huia was almost certainly extinct by this point.[1]
Remains:
Many skins and some skeletons are in museums around the world. New Zealand alone has 119 skins.[1] Walter Buller was told that the aforementioned purely white specimen (elaborated upon in ‘Description’) was for sale, but by the time he asked the owner about it, the latter had already sold the bird. Its current location is unknown.[2] A unique egg and subfossils are located in Wellington.[1][2]
References:
[1] Hume, J. P. (2017). Extinct Birds. United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing.
[2] Hume, J. P., & van Grouw, H. (2014). Colour aberrations in extinct and endangered birds.
[3] Szabo, M. (1993). Huia, the sacred bird. New Zealand Geographic, 20, 34-42.
[4] Burton, P. J. K. (1974). Anatomy of head and neck in the Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris) with comparative notes on other Callaeidae.
An 1888 painting of a female (top) and male (bottom) by John Gerrard Keulemans. This painting appears in Walter Lawry Buller’s book A History of the Birds of New Zealand.
Temporal range: Holocene (last confirmed sighting in December 28, 1907)[1][2]
Scientific classification:
Life
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Olfactores
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Clade: Reptilia
Clade: Eureptilia
Clade: Romeriida
Clade: Diapsida
Clade: Neodiapsida
Clade: Archelosauria
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Clade: Crurotarsi
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Avemetatarsalia
Clade: Ornithodira
Clade: Dinosauromorpha
Clade: Dinosauriformes
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Clade: Eusaurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Clade: Neotheropoda
Clade: Averostra
Clade: Tetanurae
Clade: Orionides
Clade: Avetheropoda
Clade: Coelurosauria
Clade: Tyrannoraptora
Clade: Maniraptoriformes
Clade: Maniraptora
Clade: Pennaraptora
Clade: Paraves
Clade: Eumaniraptora
Clade: Averaptora
Clade: Avialae
Clade: Euavialae
Clade: Avebrevicauda
Clade: Pygostylia
Clade: Ornithothoraces
Clade: Euornithes
Clade: Orithuromorpha
Clade: Ornithurae
Clade: Neornithes
Infraclass: Neognathae
Clade: Eufalconimorphae
Clade: Psittacopasserae
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Parvorder: Corvida
Superfamily: Corvoidea
Family: Callaeidae
Genus: †Heteralocha
Species: †H. acutirostris
The huia is an extinct species of wattlebird (Callaeidae) that was confined to the North Island of New Zealand until the early 20th century CE.
Description:
Females were slightly larger than males, at 48 and 45 cm, respectively, and the huia was the largest of the wattlebirds. Adult birds generally had black feathers with a green gloss. The end of the tail feathers was white. The wattles of this species were orange, and the beak had an ivory color. The iris was brown, while the legs and feet were black. Juveniles differed from the adults in that their plumage was a duller brown color, with the distal tail band being washed rufous. Māori have claimed that individuals from the Rhine range had a broader white distal tail band, but this has yet to be substantiated.[1]
Some completely white individuals have been known. One specimen (clearly a female, given the long curved beak) was illustrated (but not published on) by J.G. Keulemans in a piece titled ‘Three Huia’. Keulemans probably based the illustration off of a mounted specimen, and so its dark eye would not have been a real feature of the animal. It is unlikely that this specimen was a true albino, given the vulnerability albinos have in the wild (due to their poor eyesight). Similarly, leucism and progressive greying have also been ruled out. This individual was probably ino, since this condition is not uncommon, does not give birds poor eyesight, and can make birds fully white. Also, the fact that it is a female strongly supports the recessive and sex-linked mutation characteristics of inos.[2]
Supposedly, several true albinos are known as well.[3] It is unknown if these claims hold up to scrutiny or if these specimens are simply inos like the one painted in ‘Three Huia’.
‘Three Huia’, painted c. 1900 by J.G. Keulemans.
The most notable physical feature of the huia is the pronounced sexual dimorphism seen in the bill. Males had short, straight bills while females had long, thin, and downcurved bills.[1][2]
Biology:
The extreme sexual dimorphism seen in the bills of the species reflects differing foraging strategies by the two sexes. Males would use the short, straight, and robust bill to chisel through hard substrate (e.g. wood) to reach insect larvae.[1][2] The species had well-developed jaw musculature for gaping; that is, the bill would be inserted through substrate, and the jaws could be opened wide to pull apart substrate with great force.[1] In fact, the huia might have been more specialized for this than any living bird.[4] On the other hand, the female’s long, slender, and curved bill was used to probe into crevices.[1][2] One proposal for why this sexual dimorphism existed was to reduce intraspecific competition between the two sexes, and to exploit a wide variety of food items in various microhabitats.[1] The rhamphotheca aside, the bone cores of the beaks do seem to differ to an extent, and females had more gracile palatal bones. However, overall, the skulls were similar to each other in both sexes, and there is at least one skull where the sex is uncertain.[4]
Insects were the primary food source of the huia, particularly the grubs of the huhu beetle (Prionoplus reticularis). Also eaten were various wetas, other insect larvae, and fruit. Foraging was primarily done on rotting wood or bark, and on mosses and lichens.[1]
This species mostly lived in montane and lowland hardwood-podicarp forests with dense understory. Sometimes it also could be found in Nothofagus forests, with some seasonal altitudinal movements. These birds began breeding in early summer. The nest was ~35 cm wide with a small depression that the birds lined with an unspecified finer material. Two to four greyish eggs with brown or purple markings were laid in the nest.[1]
For the most part, the huia was a quiet bird. On the occasion that it did vocalize, however, it would produce whistles and a soft flute-like song. This call could be heard in dense forest up to 400 meters away.[1]
Extinction:
Subfossil remains indicate that the huia was once widespread throughout North Island. Although the Māori did not drive the huia into extinction (like so many other native New Zealand birds), they did destroy enough habitat (and possibly hunt enough birds) to reduce its range such that, by the second half of the 19th century, the huia was confined to southern North Island. To the Māori, the huia was sacred. Chiefs kept tail feathers in their headdresses, and elaborately carved wooden boxes also held these feathers.[1]
Europeans exacerbated habitat destruction by clearing forests for agriculture, and this was probably the primary reason for the huia’s decline. Apparently, the huia needed old forest growth to survive, and could not settle for secondary forest growth. Europeans also hunted huia for museum specimens (especially as the species became rarer) and for ornaments (made from feathers and beaks), to the point where thousands of specimens were collected. This was worse than Māori hunting because while the Māori only allowed for seasonal hunting when the tail feathers were in peak condition, Europeans hunted them year-round. The Māori are known to have rebuked Europeans for their simultaneous heavy demand on huia feathers and destruction of habitat. Also threatening to the primarily terrestrial huias were ferrets, stoats, and weasels.[1]
The last confirmed sighting was in December 28, 1907 by ornithologist W.W. Smith. There is, however, a second-hand report that “strongly suggests” that the huia may have survived until at least 1924. The people involved in this report (the reporter and a captain) went on expeditions that same year to find the bird, but this proved fruitless.[1]
Sightings persisted well into the 20th century, even as late as 1961, but the huia was almost certainly extinct by this point.[1]
Remains:
Many skins and some skeletons are in museums around the world. New Zealand alone has 119 skins.[1] Walter Buller was told that the aforementioned purely white specimen (elaborated upon in ‘Description’) was for sale, but by the time he asked the owner about it, the latter had already sold the bird. Its current location is unknown.[2] A unique egg and subfossils are located in Wellington.[1][2]
References:
[1] Hume, J. P. (2017). Extinct Birds. United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing.
[2] Hume, J. P., & van Grouw, H. (2014). Colour aberrations in extinct and endangered birds.
[3] Szabo, M. (1993). Huia, the sacred bird. New Zealand Geographic, 20, 34-42.
[4] Burton, P. J. K. (1974). Anatomy of head and neck in the Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris) with comparative notes on other Callaeidae.
