Brown teal  (Anas chlorotis)

Range

Once found throughout the lowland, freshwater wetlands of New Zealand and several offshore islands, the brown teal is now limited to Great Barrier Island, and the east coast of Northland, south of the Bay of Islands. Numbers currently stand at around 1,000 (3). Reintroductions of captive-reared juveniles to Coromandel over four years has resulted in the establishment of a resident breeding population (5). Small populations are also found on Little Barrier Island, Rakitu Island, Kawau Island, Moturoa Island, Tiritiri Matangi Island and Kapiti Island, mainly due to reintroductions (3).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

The brown teal previously inhabited a diverse selection of freshwater wetlands and swamp-forest, particularly in the lowlands, but it is now found only in coastal streams, wetlands and dams near to farmland. It nests in grass bowls under thick vegetation (2). Fossil evidence even suggests that the brown teal was once found in forested areas, far from wetlands (3).

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