huia (Heteralocha acutirostris)

As is well known, the male and female huia had different beak shapes, that of the female being very long and downcurved. The species has been extinct since the early- to mid-1900s. These specimens were photographed at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, NZ

Quite simply, I am very annoyed that I will never get chance to see a living Huia.

When I was in Devonport in the 1990s I used to go down a road called Huia Street every day to get the ferry across to Auckland. Sadly that was to be the closest I got to these wonderful animals....