Finsch's Duck
Encyclopedia
Finsch's Duck was a large terrestrial species of duck
formerly endemic to New Zealand
. The species was possibly once the most common duck in New Zealand, a supposition based on the frequency of its fossil
s in bone deposits. The species was originally considered to be in its own genus
, Euryanas, but is now known to be closely related to the Maned Duck and recently derived from that species.
The Finsch's Duck was much larger than the Maned Duck, probably weighing twice as much (around 1-2 kg) and having larger legs. The wings were much reduced however, and it seems that flight was lost relatively quickly after the species arrived in New Zealand. Little is known about the biology of the species, but its remains have been found widely in New Zealand and it does not seem to have been tied to water like many other duck species.
The species is thought to have become extinct due to human hunting
and predation by introduced species
, particularly rats. Like many large flightless New Zealand birds its remains have been found in Māori middens. Radiocarbon dating
puts the youngest bones of the species as recently as the 15th -17th centuries, and one account of a large flightless goose killed in Opotiki
suggests the species might have survived until 1870.
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
formerly endemic to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The species was possibly once the most common duck in New Zealand, a supposition based on the frequency of its fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s in bone deposits. The species was originally considered to be in its own genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, Euryanas, but is now known to be closely related to the Maned Duck and recently derived from that species.
The Finsch's Duck was much larger than the Maned Duck, probably weighing twice as much (around 1-2 kg) and having larger legs. The wings were much reduced however, and it seems that flight was lost relatively quickly after the species arrived in New Zealand. Little is known about the biology of the species, but its remains have been found widely in New Zealand and it does not seem to have been tied to water like many other duck species.
The species is thought to have become extinct due to human hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and predation by introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, particularly rats. Like many large flightless New Zealand birds its remains have been found in Māori middens. Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
puts the youngest bones of the species as recently as the 15th -17th centuries, and one account of a large flightless goose killed in Opotiki
Opotiki
Opotiki is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Opotiki District Council and comes under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.-Population:* of the town: 4176 - Male 1,989, Female 2,187...
suggests the species might have survived until 1870.
Further reading
- Tennyson, A. & Martinson, P. (2006) Extinct Birds of New Zealand Te Papa Press,Wellington ISBN 978-0-909010-21-8
- Finsch's Duck. Chenonetta finschi. by Paul Martinson. Artwork produced for the book Extinct Birds of New Zealand, by Alan Tennyson, Te Papa Press, Wellington, 2006