NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Local Focus: Multi-kill traps deployed to save our rarest duck, the whistling whio

Alexander Robertson
By Alexander Robertson
VideoJournalist, Palmerston North/Whanganui, NZH Local Focus·NZ Herald·
26 Oct, 2018 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Call for volunteer whio protectors. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Multi-kill, gas-powered traps are boosting hopes our rarest duck can be saved from extinction.

The whio is elusive, endemic, endangered - and the only duck in the world to whistle instead of quack.

The rare whio, or blue duck, lives in the Ruahine Ranges and is a national icon, featured on our $10 note.

Whio and chicks as featured on the $10 note.
Whio and chicks as featured on the $10 note.

But it's not money that's saving these ducks. It's the efforts of volunteers trapping stoats, rats and weasels.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ruahine Whio Protectors Trust chairwoman Janet Wilson has dedicated the past 10 years to bringing the duck back from the brink of extinction.

She said recent innovations in traps had proved heartening for those having to tramp deep into the ranges to reset traps.

"This trap kills. It can go on killing rather than those box traps ... which can only kill once until someone comes along and takes the dead thing out of it.

"These are fantastic."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Ruahine Whio Protectors Trust chairwoman Janet Wilson with a gas-powered multi-kill trap for rodents. Photo / Alexander Robertson
Ruahine Whio Protectors Trust chairwoman Janet Wilson with a gas-powered multi-kill trap for rodents. Photo / Alexander Robertson

Last week, Wilson took a few volunteers into the Oroua River valley, northeast of Apiti in the Manawatū - to reset traps and find the whio in its natural habitat.

Wilson said there were fewer than 3000 whio in the country and it was far more endangered than the kiwi.

"It's specially adapted to live in these rivers," she said. "It has a rubbery bill that can get under rocks and find the invertebrates ... they're fiercely territorial and cover up to 1.5km of river."

Although the whio in the Ruahine Ranges spent the majority of their time living on the fast flowing and pristine headwaters, to reproduce they have to lay eggs on the river banks where predators await.

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

The death of a lake: 'We fix it or rename it Lake Horror-whenua'

13 Oct 04:00 PM
New Zealand

Bridge works uncover a stunning surprise

15 Oct 07:30 PM
Freight and logistics

Paradise lost or fortune gained? The stoush over Hicks Bay

25 Oct 08:09 PM
New Zealand

Local Focus: Climbers get high in Hamilton this weekend

26 Oct 06:30 PM

Wilson said stoats, rats and weasels could not resist the smell and taste of them, and there was graphic video evidence of rodents attacking a nest and killing a mother.

Wilson hoped more volunteers would join the fight against the whio predators.

"You've got to be committed and strong enough to handle the sometimes-harsh elements of the Ruahine Ranges," she warned.

Rangiwahia residents Steve and Mary Bielski regularly reset several traps along a 15km loop which starts at the Rangiwahia Hut carpark.

Steve Bielski said the walk was a wonderful experience, and it was rewarding to give the ducks a chance, but the trapping also gave other birds in the Ruahine a chance to bounce back.

The efforts were now being multiplied.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Janet Wilson with Rangiwahia volunteers Steve Bielski and Mary Bielski. Photo / Alexander Robertson
Janet Wilson with Rangiwahia volunteers Steve Bielski and Mary Bielski. Photo / Alexander Robertson

Contact the Ruahine Whio Protectors www.rwp.org.nz or find them on Facebook.

Made with funding from

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Afternoon quiz: Singapore gained its independence in which year?

10 May 03:00 AM
Premium
Crime

Korean tourist going home with wife's remains after causing crash which killed her

10 May 03:00 AM
New ZealandUpdated

The search for Ruth and Justin: Family of Karori woman hit by car seeking pair who 'saved her life'

10 May 02:30 AM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Afternoon quiz: Singapore gained its independence in which year?

Afternoon quiz: Singapore gained its independence in which year?

10 May 03:00 AM

Test your knowledge with the Herald's afternoon quiz.

Premium
Korean tourist going home with wife's remains after causing crash which killed her

Korean tourist going home with wife's remains after causing crash which killed her

10 May 03:00 AM
The search for Ruth and Justin: Family of Karori woman hit by car seeking pair who 'saved her life'

The search for Ruth and Justin: Family of Karori woman hit by car seeking pair who 'saved her life'

10 May 02:30 AM
'Lost the life I had': Woman wants accountability after being left partially paralysed

'Lost the life I had': Woman wants accountability after being left partially paralysed

10 May 02:00 AM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP