Whio Awareness Week 2026
23 March 2026 - 29 March 2026
Region(s): Nationwide
Type(s): promotion
These unique birds (immortalised on our $10 note) are some of the only ducks in the world to live in fast flowing streams. Their presence is a great indicator of healthy river ecosystems. But, with less than 3,000 left in New Zealand, we've got to do our best to keep them around. They’re listed as threatened – nationally vulnerable meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the medium term.
Whio – the blue duck
The whio/blue duck is endemic to New Zealand. It is a nationally vulnerable species and faces a risk of becoming extinct, largely due to habitat destruction.
You can make a difference by:
Learn and share whio stories with your community.
Volunteer with a local conservation group.
Donate to support predator control and whio protection projects.
For further information check out these organisations below.
Enter the Department of Conservation's competition and be with a chance to win awesome prizes, whilst naturing for whio.
Find out more about whio
Related articles
The Hubs have lots of great articles on the whio:
Related professional learning development
Check out our teacher PLD sessions related to whio. These recorded webinars were run with the support of the Department of Conservation:
Activities
The activities below are all related to whio and are a great way to extend you own, and your student’s knowledge, about whio:
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