- Conservation status
- Doing OK
Pūtangitangi are a colourful addition to the cities and countryside of Aotearoa. They’re common throughout the country and are also our largest duck species. You’ll usually see them as mating pairs, and you might even come across a whānau of pūtangitangi – the chicks have delightful stripey plumage. The parents will guard their young until they’re ready to fly.
Campaign Manager
Mako Cosgrove
Aotearoa New Zealand's most underrated bird is campaigning again for the 7th year in a row. It's one of the most interesting and colourful birds in New Zealand but is often overlooked as it is common across the country.
In fact, because it is such a colourful and unique bird for New Zealand, people often think that the pūtangitangi paradise shelduck is an introduced bird, but in fact it is endemic and only found in New Zealand.
Over 30% of its population is killed due to duck hunting every year, something which unfortunately will not be changing anytime soon. Fortunately, this decline is nearly completely slowed as this species is one of the best manu parents in Aotearoa.
If you want to support Bird of the Year's biggest under-duck, vote for the pūtangitangi.
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