largest species of New Zealand wattlebird. It belonged to a family found
only in New Zealand, one so ancient that no relation is found elsewhere.
Already rare before Europeans arrived in New Zealand, it was confined to
some mountain ranges in the south east of the North Island. It had deep
metallic, bluish-black plumage with a greenish iridescence on the upper
surface, especially about the head. It was remarkable for having the
most pronounced sexual dimorphism in bill shape of any species of bird
in the world. The female's beak was long, thin and arched downward,
while the male's was short and stout. The last confirmed sighting was in
1907. Its extinction had two main causes: overhunting to procure Huia
skins for mounted specimens for museums and private collectors, and
widespread deforestation by European settlers to create agricultural
pasture. The Huia is one of New Zealand's best known extinct birds
because of its bill shape, its sheer beauty and special place in Māori
culture and oral tradition. Māori regarded the bird as tapu (sacred),
and the wearing of its skin or feathers was reserved for people of high
status.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huia>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1820:
Sponsored by the American Colonization Society, the first
African American emigrants departed New York to establish a settlement
in present-day Liberia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Liberia>
1833:
Otto became the first modern King of Greece.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_of_Greece>
1862:
Union forces earned one of their first important victories in
the American Civil War at the Battle of Fort Henry in western Tennessee.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Henry>
1958:
British European Airways Flight 609, carrying the Manchester
United football club, a number of their fans and journalists covering
the team, crashed while attempting to take off from Munich-Riem Airport
in Munich, West Germany, killing eight players and 15 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_air_disaster>
2000:
Second Chechen War: Russia captured Grozny, the capital of
Chechnya, forcing the separatist Chechen government into exile.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Grozny_(1999%E2%80%932000)>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
galactagogue:
A substance that induces lactation.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/galactagogue>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow. Delay may give
clearer light as to what is best to be done.
--Aaron Burr
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aaron_Burr>
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