Blue Duck
Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnatidae (Anàtids)
- GenusHymenolaimus
- SpeciesHymenolaimus malacorhynchos (Blue Duck)
The blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) or whio is a member of the duck, goose and swan family, Anatidae and is endemic to New Zealand. It is the only individual species belonging to the genus Hymenolaimus. Its closest relatives are the ducks in the genus Sarkidiornis. First seen and recorded by the British explorer, James Cook in his second voyage to New Zealand, its scientific name was given by the German naturalist, Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789 and later George Robert Gray in 1843. There are two subspecies of the blue duck, one in North Island and the other in South Island. Common to both gender, its physical characteristics include yellow iris, a pale grey beak with semicircular flaps and lamellae, dark-slate grey plumage, chestnut flecked breast, dark grey webbed feet, and well developed claws. Wikipedia →
50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Duck sighting in Tongariro National Park, based on 183 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Tongariro National Park
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Paradise Shelduck
Tadorna variegata
Pacific Black Duck
Anas superciliosa
New Zealand Scaup
Aythya novaeseelandiae
Black Swan
Cygnus atratus
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Grey Teal
Anas gracilis
Australasian Shoveler
Spatula rhynchotis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tongariro National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Aoraki Mount Cook National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blue Duck in Tongariro National Park?
About 52% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Duck sighting in Tongariro National Park, based on 183 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blue Duck in Tongariro National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Blue Duck in Tongariro National Park in our monthly data.