Food Webs

The feeding relationships Huia had with other animals were very simple. They were omnivorous, eating insects, larvae, spiders and berries. They were not eaten by anything else until the arrival of humans; then rats ate their chicks and eggs, while cats, dogs and stoats ate the birds themselves.

Some Huia Food Chains

These food chains show Huia as 1st Order Carnivores (2nd Order Consumers), 2nd Order Carnivores (3rd Order Consumers) and as Herbivores (1st Order Consumers):

Before Humans

As Huia are now extinct, it is difficult to know for certain which species were the main competitors. The beak of Huia was specialised to limit competition within the species, so it is more likely that they avoided competition with other species too. Kereru, saddlebacks, Kiwi and other birds were likely competitors, but also subject to the same introduced predators upon the arrival of humans; their numbers would have decreased in a similar fashion to the Huia's.

The New Zealand forest ecosystems were well-balanced without the presence of humans, leading to Huia (and other species) to have very specialised adaptations and a lack of variation within each population. As such, the introduction of new species and the clearing of forests (and the food sources they harboured), had a devastating impact on the Huia populations.

After Humans - the Road to Extinction

Humans introduced a lot of species which predated upon Huia (and other birds and reptiles). Humans also cleared forests to make the land available for agriculture. Many of the old, large trees in New Zealand forests had beautiful timber, ideal for building and furniture-making. Humans reduced the size of the Huia's habitat, introduced new threats, and hunted them for food and for its ornate beak and tail feathers.

The changes to this food web played a large part in the extinction of Huia. Chicks were eaten by the introduced predators, rats competed for some of the Huia's food source, and the availability of wood detritus for insects and Huhu grubs also limited its food supply.

The Huia was in big trouble, particularly as it was reportedly unable to adapt well enough to survive in alternate habitats. However, its habitat was never completely removed, so this alone should not have led to its extinction. The food web above shows the likely primary reason for Huia's extinction - new predators that it had limited ability to evade. Many New Zealand species were made extinct due to the introduction of rats, dogs, cats and stoats. The introduction of possums which compete for the birds' food source has also had a devastating impact. Kiwi, Kokako and Kakapo are examples of other New Zealand birds which were driven to the brink of extinction in a similar way; fortunately, conservation efforts were not too late to save these species...for now.