New Zealand Scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae)
About the New Zealand Scaup
The New Zealand scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae), also known as the black teal (or pāpango and several other names in Māori), is a diving duck species of the genus Aythya endemic to New Zealand. They weigh around 650 grams (23 oz) and measure around 40 centimetres (16 in), and have dark-coloured plumage. They are found throughout New Zealand in deep natural and man-made lakes and ponds. New Zealand scaup lay around 7 eggs and the ducklings are immediately capable of diving to feed. 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.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 2 recordings for this species: 2 CC BY-NC-SA. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in New Zealand in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Related species you can hear
- Common PochardAythya ferinarecording
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collarisrecording
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligularecording
This species has no recording here yet — these relatives do, so you can hear what the family sounds like.