World's most expensive feather sold in New Zealand auction for $28,000

A single feather of the now extinct New Zealand huia bird set a world record after being sold for NZD$46,521 ($28,417) at an auction in Auckland on Wednesday.

It broke the previous record which was for a feather of the same species by 450%, the Webb's Auction House said.

“We are very pleased that this rare item of natural history has achieved such huge bidder interest,” said Leah Morris, head of Decorative Arts at Webb's Auction House, “highlighting the fragility of our ecosystem and the importance of looking after its fauna.”

Potential buyers were required to provide a permit from the Culture & Heritage Ministry before being allowed to participate in the process.

The huia bird was a member of the wattle-bird family and its last credible, reported sighting was in 1907. Their feathers were very important to Maori people and were often worn as headpieces by chiefs and their families and also gifted or traded.