Story: Natural environment

Endangered birds (1st of 2)

Endangered birds

The blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) is named for its gunmetal-blue plumage. The Māori name whio refers to its call, an odd repeated whistle: ‘whio-whio-whio’. The duck is unusual in that it feeds on invertebrates, diving down to scrape them off boulders, using its specially adapted beak.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Carl Walrond

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How to cite this page:

Carl Walrond, 'Natural environment - Fauna', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/2693/endangered-birds (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Carl Walrond