New Zealand scaup They nest from October to March. They lay five to eight cream/white eggs in a nest close to water, often under banks or thick cover. The nest is usually lined with grass and down. The eggs are incubated for four weeks by the female. The newly hatched ducklings begin diving for food on their first outing. New Zealand scaup The New Zealand scaup ("Aythya novaeseelandiae") commonly known as a black teal, is a diving duck species of the genus "Aythya". It is endemic to New Zealand. In Māori commonly known as papango, also matapouri, titiporangi, raipo. Overall dark brown/black colors.
Lesser scaup be recognizable by the purple instead of green sheen of the head and a darker back. But this is unreliable because it varies according to light conditions, and these birds are often too far away from the observer to make out any sheen at all. The best trait—if the primary remiges are not visible—is the shape of the head: in the greater scaup drake, the forehead is usually quite massive, whereas the nape presents a smooth shallow curve and may appear almost straightly sloping. The lesser scaup drake presents the opposite shape, with a less bulging forehead and a nape