In pictures: Elephant Bird egg for sale

THE ultimate Easter gift was unveiled yesterday - a fossilized egg of the biggest bird that ever lived.

It was laid by an Elephant Bird - a common sight in its native Madagascar until French colonists wiped it out more than 300 years ago.

The extremely rare and complete shell which measures 8.3 inches (21cm) in diameter and 12 inches (30cm) in height could fetch up a record £30,000 when it comes under the hammer at Christie’s.

Spokesperson James Hyslop said: “It’s been in a private collection in Europe for over 80 years. It is almost 100 percent intact which makes it very valuable.

“The best one I’ve ever handled before was about 40 or 50 percent intact. But there’s perhaps one square centimetre missing at the bottom of this one.

“It’s very sculptural in quality which means it could look good alongside contemporary or tribal art. It will not only appeal to natural history collectors which could push the price up.

“It sits in a case on a simple ring and is presented as nature intended. It has not been carbon dated so all we can say is it dates to between the 13th and 17th centuries.”

Big enough to make 30 omelettes it is 120 times the size of an average chicken egg. The flightless elephant bird - related to ostriches - grew to over 10 feet tall and weighed over half-a-ton.

It had huge legs, sharp claws and a long and powerful neck. Its body was covered in bristling, hair-like feathers similar to those of the emu and its beak resembled a broad-headed spear.

It evolved at a time when birds ruled the earth and probably existed on the island for 60 million years before dying out in the 17th century.

The egg which has an estimate of £20,000-£30,000 will be on offer in the travel, science and natural history sale at the auction house’s South Kensington office on 24 April.

Also in the sale will be a rare fragment of a dodo bone - the first to come to auction since 1934.

First recorded by Dutch sailors in 1598 on Mauritius the bird was driven to extinction in the late 17th century - less than a hundred years after its discovery.

The thigh bone - or femur - was almost certainly dug up in 1865 at Mare aux Songes in the south east of the remote island during a famous excavation by natural histiry enthusiast George Clark.

Mr Hyslop said: “As an icon of extinction the dodo is second to none. From its appearance in Alice in Wonderland to the expression ‘dead as a dodo’ the bird has cemented its place in our cultural heritage.

“This exciting discovery is one of the few pieces of dodo material in private hands and it’s a privilege - and humbling experience - to have been entrusted with the bone.

“It’s a reminder of the effect humans have on the natural world and presents a rare opportunity to engage with this now lost and most enigmatic bird.”