- Anas aucklandica
Description
Brown Teal is one of 3 closely related species of teal in New Zealand. The other two being the flightless subantarctic Auckland teal, and Campbell Island teal. Once common throughout New Zealand, habitat destruction, especially swamp drainage and predation, have resulted in Brown Teal becoming one of our most nationally endangered species of waterfowl. Approximately 1300 birds were surviving nationwide in 1999. Most birds are to be found on Great Barrier Island. There are a few Brown Teal on Kapiti, Mana, and Tiritiri Matangi Islands; the eastern side of Northland and a new population has recently been established in the Coromandel area. Brown teal are regularly present at the Waikanae Estuary, probably part of the Kapiti Island population. In the South Island, a few birds survive in Fiordland. About half the size of the common mallard duck, Brown Teal stand 48cm tall and weigh just over half a kilo as an adult. The male is slightly larger than the female. Brown teal have a warm brown plumage, with dark-brown mottling on the breast. Breeding males have a glossy green head, a narrow white collar, broad green and narrow white bands on the wings and a white flank patch. A distinctive feature of all Brown Teal is their blue-black bill and the narrow white ring around the eye. Their eyes are brown. Males give a soft whistle, and the female a low quack and growl. Habits Brown Teal are often referred to as bush ducks, since they prefer stream and bushland habitats, shallow wetlands, estuaries, and wet forest habitats They are reluctant flyers and are shallow divers, dabbling just below the surface for food. Their favourite food is invertebrates and they mainly feed in the evening or at night. Most brown teal breed from June to October but are able to breed at almost any time of the year. They begin breeding at about 2 years of age and can lay clutches of up to 8 eggs. Brown Teal build a bowl-shaped nest near water, under the cover of dense tussocks or ferns, constructed with grasses lined with down. The female incubates the eggs about 30 days while the drake guards the nest - they are strongly territorial during breeding. Chicks fledge at an age of about 2 months.
Identification
Photo taken: Tiritiri Matangi New Zealand
