New Zealand is home to a wide variety of water birds, including several species1 of ducks. Duck species may be native2, endemic3, vagrant4 or introduced.
Different native duck species are adapted5 to particular habitats6 in New Zealand and co-existed by taking advantage of different ecological niches7.
Ducks belong to a wider family8 of birds called waterfowl (Anatidae) that also includes swans and geese. The waterfowl family has had more extinctions than any other family of birds in New Zealand.
Native ducks at risk
At least seven native New Zealand duck species have become extinct, and several are endangered9. The main reasons for this are the alteration of natural habitats and freshwater ecosystems10, such as the removal of native forest cover protecting watery habitats, draining wetlands11 and the introduction of predators. This has resulted in a significant reduction of habitat12 for many duck species.
Two of the rarest duck species in the world are endemic to New Zealand – the whio/blue duck and the pāteke/brown teal. These two species are struggling for survival and are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list of threatened species, along with the Auckland Island teal and Campbell Island teal.
In New Zealand, we also have a system for assessing and classifying wildlife regarding their conservation status. This system is called the New Zealand Threat Classification13 System (NZTCS) and is summarised in the chart below. More detail can be found in the Science Learning Hub article Conservation rankings.
New Zealand Threat Classification System showing native ducks
The conservation status of all native species in New Zealand is classified using the NZTCS system. This image shows the current status (2021) of native New Zealand duck species.
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Introduced species
There are several duck species that have been deliberately introduced into New Zealand. Some of these species, such as mallard ducks, were introduced during the late 1800s and early 20th century by a national network of acclimatisation societies. Mallards adapted very well to the increase in pasture and clear land that occurred as a result of settlement, and wild populations14 are now very well established. Other ducks, such as the Muscovy duck, were introduced for domestic purposes and, in some places, have established non-permanent populations in the wild.
Conservation efforts
Although the conservation15 status of many of our native ducks is alarming, there are several initiatives under way to focus on restoring population16 numbers. The main focus for New Zealand species recovery programmes is to address the issues of habitat loss and predation17. These are the main factors leading to extinction18 and endangerment of our native ducks.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has a whio/blue duck recovery plan that includes working in partnership with other groups, captive breeding programmes at whio recovery sites and the development of a range of educational resources about whio. For example, the Whio Forever programme was conceived and implemented in partnership between the Department of Conservation and Genesis Energy.
DOC also has a brown teal/pāteke recovery plan that includes support for initiatives such as the Fiordland Conservation Trust. As with whio, efforts are largely centered on ‘captive to wild’ and predator19 control programmes, and several populations are now considered stable.
The endemic grey duck/pārera is actually more endangered than either whio or pāteke, but conservation efforts are difficult. It is very hard to distinguish grey ducks from mallards, which are an introduced duck that has interbred extensively with the grey duck. As a result, there are many more grey duck/mallard hybrids now than pure grey ducks, making them very hard to identify. As a result, the grey duck is not a protected species despite its critically endangered20 conservation status and is actually still on the New Zealand game bird list.
Schools can play an important role in native species conservation by raising awareness about conservation issues and taking action to protect and enhance local natural habitats.
Nature of science
Conservation education is an example of teaching and learning within the Nature of Science21 Participating and Contributing strand, where students are asked to explore socio-scientific22 issues and use evidence-based conclusions to identify, plan and take appropriate action. This aspect is underpinned by understanding how science is utilised by society and how informed action contributes to a wider set of outcomes.
Find out more
Examples of related articles on the Science Learning Hub include Introducing New Zealand ducks, Fantastic whio feathers, Conserving native birds – introduction and Conserving native birds – writer’s insight. There are also several teacher PLD sessions related to this topic: Diving into inquiry with whio, Why learn about whio?, Inquiry outside the classroom, Taking action for conservation, Bird conservation and literacy and SLH and conservation.
Activity ideas
Some activities on the Science Learning Hub you may wish to explore include Ethics in bird conservation, Eliciting prior knowledge, Whio feathers – what are they for?, Which duck is which?, Mixing and matching ducks, Duck dominoes and Ethics in conservation science.
Useful links
For more detailed information about New Zealand ducks and bird conservation you may want to visit New Zealand Birds Online, New Zealand Birds, New Zealand’s threatened birds or 10,000 Birds. Other example of DOC working in conservation partnerships is at Blue Duck Station in the central North Island. More information about brown teal recovery efforts can be found at www.brownteal.com, and the Pāteke survival guide is also a useful resource for further reading.
- species: (Abbreviation sp. or spp.) A division used in the Linnean system of classification or taxonomy. A group of living organisms that can interbreed to produce viable offspring.
- native: A species that lives naturally in a country, as opposed to species that have been introduced by the activity of humans.
- endemic: Native to only one location. For example, species endemic to New Zealand naturally occur only in New Zealand but may have been introduced elsewhere in the world.
- vagrant: Species of animals that visit New Zealand periodically (such as migrating birds) or incidentally (such as by being blown here) but do not breed here.
- adaptation: A change in the structure or function of something. In biology, a change in a species, as a result of natural selection. Individuals with a particular feature (adaptation) are more likely to survive and reproduce than individuals without this feature.
- habitat: The natural environment in which an organism lives.
- niche: The position occupied by an organism in an ecosystem. The niche includes both the organism’s specific physical environment and the role that it plays within the wider ecosystem.
- family: A classification grouping that ranks above genus and below order (kingdom > phylum > class > order > family > genus > species).
- endangered: A species that is possibly going to become extinct soon due to limited numbers of individuals alive or not enough habitat to live in.
- ecosystem: An interacting system including the biological, physical, and chemical relationships between a community of organisms and the environment they live in.
- wetland: An area of land that is saturated with water, often referred to as a swamp or bog. Wetlands may be seasonally or permanently water-logged with vegetation adapted for life under those soil conditions. Wetlands are known as repo in te reo Māori.
- habitat: The natural environment in which an organism lives.
- classification: To arrange or organise by a set of chosen characteristics. In biology, the process of ordering living things into a system that allows scientists to identify them. Modern science uses the Linnaean system of classification where organisms are grouped based on what species they are most closely related to. In soil science, the grouping of soils with a similar range of chemical, physical and biological properties into units that can be geo-referenced and mapped.
- population: In biology, a population is a group of organisms of a species that live in the same place at a same time and that can interbreed.
- conservation: The protection, preservation and careful management of a species, habitat, artifact or taonga.
- population: In biology, a population is a group of organisms of a species that live in the same place at a same time and that can interbreed.
- predates: To hunt or seek prey.
- extinction: In biology, the death of the last remaining individual of a species.
- predator: An animal that kills and eats other animals, called its prey.
- critically endangered: Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild (International Union for Conservation of Nature ranking).
- nature of science: The Nature of Science (NoS), is an overarching and unifying strand of the New Zealand science curriculum. Through it, students develop the skills, attitudes and values to build a foundation for understanding the world around them – understanding how science works in order to make links between scientific knowledge and everyday decisions and actions.
- socio-scientific: Combining social and scientific factors.
