Kia ora Antonio, the whio or blue duck is classed as nationally vulnerable, with an estimated population in the wild of less than 3000 – that’s rarer than some kiwi species! Project Janszoon’s target for whio is to bring the population up to a sustainable level in the suitable habitat of the Park. There’s a great article from Predator Free 2050 on whio here.
You can also check them out on NZ Birds online – a great resource for species info.
Whio are being bred for release through captive breeding programmes including Whio Forever.
Caroline Crick Edited answer 27/02/2023
