New Zealand Scaup

The New Zealand scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae), also known as the black teal or pāpango in Māori, is a diving duck species of the genus Aythya endemic to New Zealand. They weigh around 650 g and measure around 40 cm, and have dark-coloured plumage. They are found throughout New Zealand in deep natural and man-made lakes and ponds. New Zealand scaups lay around 7 eggs and the ducklings are immediately capable of diving to feed, while adult scaups can dive to at least 3 metres and for as long as a minute for aquatic plants and invertebrates. Scaups started declining in the late 1800s until they were fully protected in 1934, and their population is now increasing thanks to predator control and new habitat.