Narrative

Blue duck or whio (Hymanoclaimus malacorhynchos) is found only on New Zealand. It is now rare in that country. This 21 inch duck is almost entirely blue-grey. However, some orange markings may show on the upper breast.

This lifeform is found in wooded areas. This lifeform is scarce.

This lifeform is found in New Zealand.

Surface Ducks (Tribe or Subfamily Anatinae) contains the familiar ducks. Wood Ducks, Teals, and Mallards belong here.

The six species of Shelducks (genus Tadorna) are included although some scientists give that genus a tribe status. Steamer Ducks (Genus Tachyeres) are also included although some scientists also give that group tribe status.
Also included are the various Cyanochen and Chloephaga genera although that group is also sometimes given tribe status.

Following is a list of 80 species that includes species within each group:

MISCELLANEOUS GEESE-LIKE DUCKS (8 SPECIES)
Cyanochen cyanopterus - Blue Wing Goose - Africa
Chloephaga hybrida - Kelp Goose - South America
Chloephaga melanoptera - Andean Goose - South America
Chloephaga picta - Magellan Goose - South America
Chloephaga poliocephala - Ashy Head Goose - South America
Chloephaga rubidiceps - Ruddy Head Goose - South America
Neochen jubatus - Orinoco Goose - South America
Alopochen aegypticus - Egyptian Goose - Africa

SHELDUCKS (7 SPECIES)
Tadorna cana - Cape - South Africa
Tadorna cristata - Crested - EXTINCT Korea
Tadorna ferruginea - Ruddy - Asia, Africa, & India
Tadorna tadornoides - Australian - Australia
Tadorna tadorna - Common - Eurasia
Tadorna radjah - Radjah - Austr. and N.Guinea
Tadorna variegata Paradise - New Zealand

- STREAMER DUCKS (4 SPECIES)
Tachyeres patachonicus - Flying - Chile and Argentina
Tachyeres pteneres - Magellan - Chile
Tachyeres leocophalus - White Head - Argentina
Tachyeres brachypterus - Falkland - Falkland Islands

PERCHING DUCKS (15 SPECIES)
Aix sponsa - Wood - North America
Aix galericulata - Mandarin - Orient and introduced
Cairina hartlaubi - Hartlaub - West Africa
Cairina moschata - Muscovy - South America
Cairina scutulata - White Wing - India to Java
Sarkidornis melanotos - Comb - South of Equator
Nettapus pulchellus - Green Pygmy - Austr. & New Guinea
Nettapus coromandelianus - Cotton Teal - India to Australia

Nettapus auritus - African Pygmy - Africa
Callonetta leucophrys - Ringed Teal - South America
Chenonetta jubata - Austral. Wood - Australia
Amazonetta brasiliensis - Amazon Teal - South America
Hymenolaimus malacorhyn. - Blue - New Zealand
Merganetta armata - Torrent - Andes
Salvadorini waiguinsis - Salvadors - New Guinea

DABBLING DUCKS (46 SPECIES)
Anas acuta - N. Teal - Holarctic
Anas america - Amer. wigeon - New World
Anas aucklandia - N. Zelnd Teal - New Zealand
Anas bahamensis - Bahama Pintail - Amer Tropics
Anas bernieri - Madgscr Teal - Madagascar
Anas capensis - Cape Teal - Africa
Anas carolinensis - Grn Wing Teal - North America
Anas castanea - Chestnut Brst - Australia

Anas clypeata - Northern Shov - Northern Hemisphere
Anas crecca - Grn Wng Teal - Old World
Anas cyanoptera - Cinamon Teal - New World
Anas discors - Blue Wing Teal - New World
Anas erythrorhynchos - Red Bill P-Tl - Africa
Anas falcata - Falcated Teal - Eurasia
Anas flavirostris - Chilean Teal - Neotropic
Anas formosa - Baikal Teal - Old World
Anas fulvigula - Florida Duck - South United States
Anas gibberifrons - Gray Teal - Orient & Australia
Anas georgica - Georgian Teal - Neotropic
Anas laysanensis - Laysan Teal - Pacific Isles
Anas luzonica - Philippine Duck - Orient
Anas melleri - Mellers Duck - Africa
Anas penelope - European Wign - Old World
Anas platalea - Argentine Shvl - South America

Anas platyhynchos - Mallard - Worldwide
Anas poecilorhyncha - SpotBill - Old World
Anas punctata(=hottentota) - Hottentot - Africa
Anas querquedula - Garganey - Old World
Anas rubriceps - NA Black Duck - North America
Anas rhychotis - Australian Shoveler - Australian
Anas sibilatrix - Chiloe Wigeon - Neotropic
Anas smithi - Cape Shoveler - Africa

Anas strepera - Gadwal - Worldwide
Anas sparsa - Afr Black Duck - Africa
Anas specularis - Bronze Wing - South America
Anas specularoides - Crested Duck - South America
Anas supercilosa - Pacific Black - Orient/Australian
Anas undulata - Africa Yellow Bill - Africa
Anas versicolor - Versicolor Teal - South America
Anas waigiuensis - Salvador Duck - Australia Region

Malacorhynchus membran. - Pink Ear - Australia
Marmaronetta angustiros. - Marbled Teal - Near East and Africa
Netta erythrophthalma - Southern Poch - Africa and S America
Netta peposaca - Rosybill - South America
Netta rufina - Red Crested - Eurasia
Rhondonessa caryophyll. - Pink Head - EXTINCT Orient

Duck and Geese Family (Family Anatidae) contains the familiar ducks and geese. There are about one hundred and fifty-three species in this family.

Some forms are sometimes regarded as species, and at other times are regarded as subspecies. An attempt has been made here to include as species those forms that frequently appear both ways (Anas crecca/carolinensis, for example).

It is also difficult to exactly count the species, as some authors ignore recently extinct species, and other authors include them in their counts. The following recent extinctions have also been included in the lists that follow as these may cause problems for the taxonomist trying to tie out exact counts:

Labrador Duck - Camptorhynchus labradorius
Korean Shelduck - Tadorna cristata
Madagascan White-Eye - Aythya innotata
Auckland Merganser - Mergus australis
Pink Headed Duck - Rhodonessa caryophyllaca

This family is usually divided into several tribes as it helps the taxonomist and student alike in learning the many species. There is no agreement upon the natural subdivisions of this family. The following divisions were arbitrarily chosen and placed into alphabetical order:

Surface Ducks - Anatinae - 80 species
Geese and Swans - Anserinae - 33 species
Diving Ducks - Aythyinae - 25 species
Mergansers - Mergini - 6 species
Ruddy Ducks - Oxyurinae - 9 species
Total 153 species

Waterfowl Order (Order Anseriformes) contains two different families of rather divergent appearance and habitat. The South American (Neotropical) Screamers contain three species, and the worldwide ducks and geese contain about 153 species to total about 156 species in the order. Actually, at least five of these species are recently extinct, so there are less than the above numbers remaining.

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.