The bird endemic to New Zealand with a distinctive call that went extinct in 1907 was the huia.
The huia (Heteralocha acutirostris) lived only on New Zealand’s North Island, mainly in native forests. Its calls were described as varied whistles, and the Māori name is considered onomatopoeic, echoing a call rendered as “uia, uia.” The last confirmed sighting was three birds seen in the Tararua Ranges on 28 December 1907, although credible reports continued into the 1920s.
Huia were striking for their glossy black plumage, orange wattles, and white-tipped tail feathers. They also had one of the most unusual examples of sexual dimorphism in birds: males had short, stout bills, while females had long, curved bills. The two sexes could therefore forage in different ways.
The huia’s decline involved forest loss, introduced predators, hunting, and demand for its feathers and specimens. It is sometimes confused with the extinct moa, but the huia was a much smaller perching bird and belonged to New Zealand’s wattlebird family.