Whio
| Blue duck | |
|---|---|
_at_Staglands,_Akatarawa,_New_Zealand.jpg) |
|
| Blue duck at Staglands, Akatarawa Valley | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Subfamily: | Anatinae |
| Genus: |
Hymenolaimus G.R. Gray, 1843 |
| Species: | H. malacorhynchos |
| Binomial name | |
|
Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos (Gmelin, 1789) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Hymenolaimus malacorhynchus ssp. malacorhynchus (Gmelin, 1789) — Collar et al. (1994) |
|
Hymenolaimus malacorhynchus ssp. malacorhynchus (Gmelin, 1789) — Collar et al. (1994)
The blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae endemic to New Zealand. It is the only member of the genus Hymenolaimus. Its exact taxonomic status is still unresolved, but it appears to be most closely related to the tribe Anatini, the dabbling ducks. The Māori name, sometimes used in English, is whio (pronounced "fee-oh"), which is an onomatopoetic rendition of the males' call.
The blue duck is depicted on the reverse side of the New Zealand $10 banknote.
The blue duck is a dark slate-grey with a chestnut-flecked breast and a paler bill and eye. The pinkish-white bill has fleshy flaps of skin hanging from the sides of its tip. The male's call is an aspirated whistle, and the female's is a rattling growl. The blue duck hatches with a green beak for just 8 hours after hatching; after which it then develops its final colour.
The blue duck was first described in the 13th dition of the Systema Naturae published by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. The species is the only member of its genus and has no close relatives. Its taxonomic relationships with other waterfowl species remains uncertain; DNA analysis has placed it as a sister to the South American dabbling ducks (Anatini), but with no close relative. As of 2013, it was commonly listed as incertae sedis but likely within the Anatinae and allied to the Anatini. It duck was formerly thought to be related to the shelduck tribe.
Although the North Island and South Island whio are genetically distinct, they are not described as sub-species; they are, however, treated as separate management units.
...
Wikipedia