Brown Teal / Pateke Restoration & Experience

Restoration and Experience Facts

Brown Teal Chicks Photo by John Curtis

Current Status

Spring 2004: The Taylor Wetland pair and Upper Lake pair still have ducklings (the latter have been banded), while the pair with ducklings using the streams above the Round the Lake track remain unidentified but have been seen with their ducklings. There are several teal on the Lower Lake so perhaps some new pairings?

Pateke in the Sanctuary

Brown teal would have been found in wetland and swamp areas in the Wellington District in historical times. We don't yet know how many pairs of pateke the Sanctuary can sustain although we suspect that the final population will not be large given the limited amount of suitable habitat. Some ongoing manipulation of the population such as the exchange of birds with other sites may be necessary to ensure continued genetic diversity. However, the successful establishment of even a relatively small population of this bird in the Karori Sanctuary will make an important contribution to the survival of this nationally endangered species.

Mike Dearsley, trustee of the New Zealand Community Trust, releases the first Brown Teal in the Sanctuary

Eighteen birds were released in the Sanctuary at several different locations (8 in November 2000 and 10 in April 2001). These brown teal had been
bred in captivity as part of a programme co-ordinated by Ducks Unlimited. The release was made possible by grants from the New Zealand Community Trust, a major funder of community projects from the proceeds of gaming machines, and Banrock Station Wines. The Trust grant for the teal release supported not only the transfer and release of the birds but also the restoration of the release site habitat and the ongoing maintenance of the bio-security of the Sanctuary. The grant from Banrock Station Wines assisted by environmental group Wetland Care New Zealand was also used to support wetland development in the sanctuary.

The birds underwent one month’s quarantine at Hamilton and Wellington Zoo prior to arrival at the Sanctuary. On arrival they were checked, weighed and banded and some had transmitters attached to them.

Breeding in the Sanctuary

2000 - 2001

As might be expected establishing a ‘wild’ population from a core group of aviary bred and reared birds can be a slow and difficult process and the Karori experience was no exception. Three birds died, one from starvation, one from heart failure and one from a broken neck. Three pairs established by the end of 2001 but there was no successful nesting.

June 2002

Given the size of the valley, their retiring nature and pre-disposition to dispersing up streams and gullies, monitoring the pateke proved difficult. In June 2002 a ‘duck’ dog Gus, a specially trained German shorthaired pointer, and his handler Dave Barker visited the Sanctuary to do an audit. Despite recent rain and windless days, which made tracking difficult, Gus located seven pateke, one of which had not been seen since release (it had been carrying a transmitter but it had failed after release).

October - November 2002

One pair nested successfully at the Taylor wetland in October/November, but only 1 of 5 ducklings survived. Starvation was thought to have been a problem, although the female swapped partners while the ducklings were only a few days old and that may have contributed to the poor success. Other nesting attempts were unconfirmed.

January - March 2003 – Supplementary Feeding Implemented

In 2003 staff took on the challenge to actively intervene in the breeding programme in an attempt to enhance productivity and survival. The provision of maize to adults and ducklings in feeders began on a continuous basis. The feeder cage was designed to exclude mallards from feeders, and to be used as a trap so birds could be caught for banding.

The pair at the Upper lake produced a successful clutch with five of six ducklings fledged.

October - November 2003

Three pairs nested in spring 2003, including a new pair with a locally bred female for the first time. Two pairs were successful, with a total of 12 ducklings fledged (an overall success rate of 67%). Six out of seven ducklings fledged on the Lower lake, the first time any teal had nested successfully there. All young teal were caught in the new cages and banded, and some had transmitters attached. The new pair was unsuccessful with their nest being flooded.

January - February 2004

In summer, two pairs nested successfully, the new pair fledged two out of three ducklings at the Taylor wetland, and the upper lake pair fledged all five ducklings (100% success).

As far as we know, there have been three deaths in 2004. Two fledglings banded in April died: one was run over in a neighbouring suburb and the other died from unknown causes in its natal territory. A young female also died. She was paired at Taylor wetland and Mum to the two chicks being raised by Dad. A post-mortem revealed the bird in good condition and the cause of death is a mystery.

July 2004 - a New Season

The pateke breeding season is now well under way for spring 2004, with two ducklings often seen with each of the pairs located at the Upper Lake (hatched late July), Taylor wetland (hatched early July) and Lower lake (hatched August).

The Future – the Sanctuary contribution to the brown teal recovery programme

Having a population of a nationally endangered bird is both a privilege and responsibility. Given the constraints of the wetland habitat at the Sanctuary, we may soon reach carrying capacity and it is possible that young birds are already dispersing from the Sanctuary. Taking this into account, consideration is now being given to developing an annual programme for the transfer of surplus ducklings to other conservation sites. This will involve a percentage of our ducklings being re-located to new or established populations where they will have the potential to establish pairs and contribute to the brown teal recovery programme. For now, the Department of Conservation is suggesting the teals are retained at the Sanctuary.

More Information

• Suggested readings:
  • Penguin Pocket Guide to New Zealand's native birds of shore and wetland.
  • Barrie Heather and Hugh Robertson The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand illustrated by Derek J. Ongley. Viking 2000 (revised hardback edition). ISBN 0670 89370 6.
• Brown Teal Recovery Program