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, placed in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae after previously being considered part of the paraphyletic "perching duck" assemblage. The Māori name, sometimes used in English, is whio, which is an onomatopoetic rendition of the males' call.
The Blue Duck features on the reverse side of the New Zealand $10 note.
Read more about Blue Duck: Description, Ecology and Behaviour, Status
Famous quotes containing the words blue and/or duck:
“The traveller who has gone to Italy to study the tactile values of Giotto, or the corruption of the Papacy, may return remembering nothing but the blue sky and the men and women who live under it.”
—E.M. (Edward Morgan)
“The duck fats rot in the roasting pan,
And its over and over and all ...”
—Gwendolyn Brooks (b. 1917)