75 days. Occasionally, rafts are formed by several females and their ducklings; these can have up to 50 birds. Average and maximum lifespan, age at first breeding and survival rate of fledglings is not known because few New Zealand scaups have been banded. Feeding The New Zealand scaup is a diving duck which dives to look for aquatic plants, small fish, water snails, mussels and insects. It is sometimes seen with the Australian coot (Fulica atra); it is thought that the scaup takes advantage of the food stirred up by the coots as they fossick for shrimps. Scaups dive to at least 3 metres, but probably dive much deeper. Most dives last 15–20 seconds, but some dives last for over a minute. Threats and conservation During the late 1800s and early 1900s, New Zealand scaup populations declined due to habitat destruction, introduction of predators and duck hunting. Adults and ducklings are vulnerable to predation during nesting and chick-rearing which may result in low breeding success. New Zealand scaups started recovering after they were partially protected in 1921 and fully protected in 1934. Predator control and new breeding and feeding habitat has allowed the scaup population to increase, especially in Christchurch, where scaups have recolonised the area. The last time the population of the New Zealand scaup was assessed in the 1990s, the population was estimated to be around 20,000; the population has most likely increased since then. References New Zealand scaup New Zealand scaup New Zealand scaup New Zealand scaup