Blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos)

Species information

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Threats

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 (2). 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).

Conservation

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 (4). 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).