The Huia is an extinct species of New Zealand Wattlebird that was endemic to the lower North Island of New Zealand and possibly the very top of the South Island.

Females had a long, slender and curved bill while males had a much shorter and thicker bill.
It is thought that males and females form a life long bond and help each other out. Males would peck, puncture, drill and tear at wood to expose insect larvae living inside, and the female with her long, curved bill would be able to easily go in and grab out a snack to share.

I've modeled this skin to give the appearance that the bill could be either male or female. I've done this because I didn't want to make two skins where the only difference was the bill.

The Huia wasn't only a stunner in appearance, but in song too. Their calls consisted of sweet, tuneful whistles and they had a call that sounded a bit like "where-are-you", or a whistle in that sort of beat.

The Huia populations started their decline when Polynesian settlers arrived and killed them for their feathers. Once Europeans came, they were finished off by collectors and the like. They were even considered a game bird! The Huia was later protected, but is was too late and the bird was already well on it's way to extinction.