Finsch's duck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Finsch's duck |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chenonetta
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| Species: |
finschi
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| Synonyms | |
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Euryanas finschi |
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Finsch's duck (Chenonetta finschi) was a very large type of duck that used to live only in New Zealand. It was endemic to New Zealand, meaning it was found nowhere else in the world. This duck is now extinct, which means it no longer exists.
Scientists believe Finsch's duck might have been the most common duck in New Zealand a long time ago. We know this because many of its fossils, or old bones, have been found in places where bones were deposited.
This duck was first thought to be in its own special group, or genus, called Euryanas. However, scientists now know it was closely related to the maned duck. It probably developed from the maned duck a long time ago.
About Finsch's Duck
What it Looked Like
Finsch's duck was much bigger than the maned duck. It likely weighed about 1 to 2 kilograms, which is twice as much! It also had bigger legs.
Its wings, however, were much smaller. It seems that Finsch's duck lost the ability to fly fairly quickly after its ancestors arrived in New Zealand.
Where it Lived
We don't know much about the daily life of Finsch's duck. But its bones have been found all over New Zealand. This suggests it didn't stay close to water like many other duck species. It was probably a land-dwelling bird.
Why it Disappeared
Scientists believe Finsch's duck became extinct because of two main reasons. One reason was human hunting. The other was predation by introduced species. These are animals that were brought to New Zealand by people, like rats.
Like many large, flightless New Zealand birds, the bones of Finsch's duck have been found in Māori middens. Middens are ancient rubbish heaps where Māori people threw away food scraps and other things.
Scientists use a method called Radiocarbon dating to find out how old things are. Using this method, the youngest bones of Finsch's duck found are from the 15th to 17th centuries. This means the duck was still alive around that time. There's even a story from 1870 about a large flightless goose killed in Opotiki. This story makes some people wonder if Finsch's duck might have survived even longer.
