More pāteke released in Abel Tasman, rare duck population now in the hundreds

Tuesday, 26 May 2020

Motupipi teacher Jodie Grant releasing some of the pāteke in the Awapoto River.

There might be less people flying around the country, but a plane carrying 49 rare pāteke made a special flight to Nelson, as part of the journey to their new home in the Abel Tasman National Park.

Pāteke, or brown teal, were once widespread throughout New Zealand but are now one of the country's rarest waterfowl species, with the Department of Conservation estimating there are 2000 – 2500 birds left in the wild.

Despite Covid-19 restrictions and reduced air capacity, the special cargo landed at Nelson Airport last week.

After being blessed at the airport by Archdeacon Harvey Ruru of Te Ātiawa the birds were driven to the Abel Tasman National Park and released on the Awapoto River at dusk.

Pāteke, New Zealand brown teal, are among the country's rarest waterfowl.

* Project Janszoon webcams used to keep eye on boatie behaviour at Awaroa, Anchorage

* Pāteke a gift for Abel Tasman National Park

Since 2017, Project Janszoon, the Department of Conservation and local iwi have released 288 pāteke in the Abel Tasman National Park, which is one of only two South Island pāteke sites.

Project Janszoon director Bruce Vander Lee said the national park was now seen as extremely important in the survival of the endemic birds.

'Pāteke are doing very well in the Abel Tasman and soon we won’t need to release more birds as the population will be self-sufficient and continue to grow naturally. The public will get lots more chances to see this rare native duck in the wild as it spreads through the park.'

DOC biodiversity ranger John Henderson said extensive predator control had helped the birds thrive.

The birds had bred in the first year after they were released and unbanded, wild ducks were seen regularly in the park.

'No radio-tagged pāteke have been killed by introduced predators which is a fantastic result.'

The logistics of bringing the 49 birds from the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust in Christchurch where they were bred, to Nelson, were complicated because of Covid-19 restrictions. Project Janszoon and DOC are grateful for the trust and Air New Zealand's help to make it happen.