World’s most expensive feather sold at auction in New Zealand

A rare and highly sought-after feather from the extinct huia bird of New Zealand was sold at an auction for a whopping NZD$46,521 ($28,365), making it the world’s most expensive feather. The long-extinct huia bird was endemic to the North Island of New Zealand and was last seen in the early 1900s, but there was also a reported sighting in 1924.

About the auction

The feather that went under the hammer earlier this week was estimated to fetch somewhere between $2,000-$3,000.However, it ended up exceeding expectations.

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According to Auckland-based Webb’s Auction House, the feather of the bird which was last spotted in the 20th century has previously sold for up to $5,100.

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“This rare huia feather is a beautiful example of Aotearoa’s natural history and reminds us of the fragility of our ecosystem,” said Leah Morris, head of decorative arts at the auction house, in a statement.

Morris told the Guardian that she believes that the single feather’s excellent condition and the efforts to protect it with archival paper and UV glass as well as the story of the huia, drove up the bids.

According to the British newspaper, the specimen was one of the best huia feathers the house had seen come to market.

More expensive than gold?

The feather which weighs approximately nine grams was also deemed far more valuable than gold.

On the day of the auction which took place on Monday (May 20), gold was worth $127 per gram, while when compared to the price it was sold at, one gram of the feather was worth $5,169.

The huia which was also the largest of New Zealand’s wattlebird species, known for its beautiful song was considered a prized bird, which sadly also proved fatal for the species.

The last confirmed sighting of the bird with predominantly black glossy feathers and white-tipped long-tail feathers was in 1907.

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The bird was considered sacred to the Māoris and often featured in their songs and sayings, the feathers of the huia were also reversed for the chiefs and people with mana (prestige), according to the Guardian.

When the Europeans arrived in New Zealand the birds were already rare, and the European craze for their feathers led to their ultimate demise. The attempts to save the bird from going extinct by the scientists in the early 1900s also failed.

All prospective buyers of the feather, which is considered of national importance, required a permit from New Zealand’s Ministry for Culture and Heritage ahead of Monday’s sale.

As the feather could only be bought by a registered collector and cannot leave the country without the ministry’s permission.

(With inputs from agencies)