Posted by jan VIP , 16 Jun 2015

The New Zealand blue duck or Whio is an endemic resident breeder in New Zealand, nesting in hollow logs, small caves and other sheltered spots. It is a rare duck, holding territories on fast flowing mountain rivers. Blue ducks are listed as Endangered (IUCN, 2013) because it has a very small and severely fragmented population which is undergoing a rapid decline owing to a variety of factors, most notably the effects of introduced predators. A national survey estimated the population to number at least 1,200 mature individuals, roughly equivalent to 1,800 individuals in total. Two co-ordinated management programmes are underway to save the species.

Currently there are no blue ducks kept in any avicultural institution except for some New Zealand/ Australian. In 2015 the last bird in Europe died at the Arundel Wetland Centre (UK). Some photos were provided by Paul Rose to share at this website. You can find them here.