Feather from extinct bird fetches £4,000 at auction
The brown and white feather was sold in New Zealand by Webb's auction house.The buyer wants to remain anonymous.Huia birds were last seen in 1907 and their feathers were used to adorn the headdresses of Maori Indians.
Neil Campbell, managing director of the auction house, said the people at the sale were "spellbound" as bidding increased.
He added: "Starting in $100 (£58) increments, that quickly leapt into the thousands and came to rest at a world record price (for a single feather) at £4,000."
The previous auction record for a feather was reached when a bald eagle feather sold for £1,900 in the US.
The huia was a native species of New Zealand and became extinct as a result of overhunting, habitat destruction and the introduction of predatory mammals.
Posted by Juliet Miller
