![](https://kiwi-kids-abroad.imgix.net/whio-wings-hero.jpg?0=800&1=1500&2=2200&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&ixlib=php-3.1.0&v=1667443349)
Quacking good news
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New Zealand is the only place in the world where you can find a whio - blue duck.
What makes the whio (pronounced ‘fee-or’) so special? This unlikely duck has been around for tens of millions of years!
Most other species have only clocked a million.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has some good news to share in the world of ducks. This threatened species’ numbers are on the rise! DOC has reported a 151% increase in the number of whio/blue duck pairs across security sites (a place where bird population restoration is underway) since 2011.
Long live the whio!