'38 Million Won for a Single Finger-Length Feather'... Where Are Feathers Worth as Much as a Mid-Sized Car Used?

Feather Sold for About 38 Million Won at Auction
'Huia,' a Native Bird Extinct Since 1907
Purchased at High Price by Dutch Collector

At an auction held in New Zealand, a single feather from an extinct native bird was sold for 38 million won.

Feathers of a Huia bird up for auction.
[Photo by Webz]

On the 21st (local time), major foreign media including The Guardian reported that the auction company 'Webbs' in Auckland, New Zealand, held an auction in Auckland on the 20th. At the auction, a feather from the New Zealand native bird called 'Huia' was featured, and the feather was sold for 46,521 New Zealand dollars (approximately 38.6 million won), attracting attention.

The Huia belongs to the passerine order and the wattle family, and was loved for its glossy black feathers. It has been designated as a treasure by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The Huia is reported to have gone extinct around 1907 due to human overhunting and habitat destruction. For the Maori people, Huia feathers were considered sacred items, and especially the feathers with white tips held great significance, being used as head ornaments for Maori chiefs.

Huiya bird.
[Photo by New Zealand Bird Research Institute website capture]

Webbs described the sold feather as "the most expensive feather in the world" and said, "The competition in this auction was very fierce." The feather weighs about 9 grams. When compared to the average price of domestic cars in February analyzed by Enka.com based on its own big data, the price exceeds the 30 million won range.

The auction record for Huia feathers surpassed the previous highest price set in 2010. At that auction, a Huia feather was sold for 8,400 New Zealand dollars (about 7 million won), marking a 453% increase in price over 14 years.

The seller of the feather said, "I have been taking good care of the feather all this time. Now that it is time to let it go, I decided to sell it." They added, "Not everyone can see the Huia feather, so I am glad that people can see the feather itself through this auction." The winning bidder is known to be a collector residing in New Zealand.