The New Zealand native blue duck or whio.
Dan would know. Not only has he named his station after the endangered waterfowl,he has spent years improving their habitats,installing predator traps and regenerating native bushland on his 2800-hectare property.
“By looking after the blue ducks,you’re also looking after the waterways,kiwi,native bats and every other bird,” he says.
The oddball of the duck world,with pouty,designer lips and webbed feet that fold like an umbrella,blue ducks are found only in New Zealand and only on fast-flowing rivers that run through pristine bushland.
“Their Maori name is whio for the distinctive whistle of the male,” says Steele,leading us along a section of the Retaruke River. As we walk,the forest wraps around me like a velvet cloak,silver ferns glint with dappled light,moss blankets fallen tree trunks,leaf litter adorns the sludgy soil. Then we hear it –fee-oh,fee-oh – a commanding trill,which is soon followed by the rumbly growl of its mate.
Within minutes a low-flying male comes hurtling along the river,banking and weaving like a military jet on patrol,its slate-blue plumage leaving a smoke trail in its wake.
Frontier Lodge at Blue Duck Station.
Steele explains that blue ducks generally mate for life and are extremely territorial,with one nesting pair staking claim to a three-kilometre section of river. Given the property’s unique position – at the convergence of the Retaruke and Whanganui rivers and surrounded by the Whanganui National Park – it is considered a significant stronghold for blue ducks,with 15 pairs of the remaining 2000 to 3000 individuals found on its rivers.