
Thursday 15 February
The World's Favourite Unloved Species 2018 - the Galapagos Racer
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Aves |
Order | Anseriformes |
Family | Anatidae |
Genus | Hymenolaimus (1) |
The blue duck, as its name suggests, has dusky blue-grey plumage with chestnut markings on the chest. The eyes are yellow and the bill is pale pink in colour; juveniles have a grey bill and eyes (2).
Blue ducks are found only in riverine habitats, where the water quality is good and there is bankside vegetation (3).
The blue duck is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1).
Habitat loss has been one of the major causes of decline in this species. The clearance and grazing of riverside vegetation has led to the depletion of water quality in many rivers and has restricted the blue duck to less accessible mountainous areas. Predation by introduced mammals such as stoats and competition with introduced trout may also have played a part in the decrease and fragmentation of this species’ range (2).
The New Zealand Department of Conservation published a Blue Duck Recovery Plan in 1997 in an effort to secure the survival of this species in the wild and to downgrade its current threat status. Some of the conservation measures involved include captive breeding and release attempts and the protection of key areas of habitat. Ongoing population monitoring is also a priority in the conservation of this attractive waterbird (4).
More information on the blue duck:
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk
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Thursday 15 February
The World's Favourite Unloved Species 2018 - the Galapagos Racer
Thursday 01 February
Thursday 01 February