New
Zealand’s
rarest
duck,
the
Campbell
Island
teal,
survives
only
on
remote
subantarctic
Dent
Island,
where
less
than
20
birds
remain.
A
captive
population
has
been
formed
at
the
National
Wildlife
Centre
which
will
produce
birds
for
eventual
release
onto
a
suitable
island.
Captive
breeding
is
the
major
conservation
work
in
the
fight
to
save
these
endangered
birds.
Teal
were
first
brought
to
the
National
Wildlife
Centre
at
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
in
1984.
These
wild-caught
birds
bred
in
captivity
for
the
first
time
in
the
summer
of
1994/5
with
one
pair
raising
four
ducklings
from
two
clutches.
Over
the
1996/97
breeding
season,
three
captive
bred
females
successfully
raised
ducklings,
thereby
significantly
boosting
the
captive
population.
The
13
juveniles
that
fledged
over
the
1996/97
season
form
a
strong
basis
for
establishing
a
second
wild
population
and
therefore
reducing
the
risk
of
extinction
Description
The
Campbell
Island
teal
is
a
small
dark
brown
duck.
A
subspecies
of
the
brown
teal,
the
Campbell
Island
teal
is
flightless
and
nocturnal,
with
a
habit
of
running
rapidly
along
the
ground.
Very
few
people
have
ever
seen
this
bird
in
the
wild.
Its
territorial
call
is
made
up
of
a
series
of
whistle-like
notes
that
form
a
trill.
Habitat
Dent
Island,
where
the
last
remaining
CI
teal
were
found
Campbell
Island
teal
were
once
thought
to
have
inhabited
the
Campbell
Island
group.
Now,
less
than
20
birds
survive
on
a
tiny,
remote
"rock"
in
the
subantarctic,
called
Dent
Island.
If
disease
or
rats
were
established
on
this
island,
the
Campbell
Island
teal
would
be
at
risk
of
certain
extinction
Recovery
Plan
The
primary
objective
is
to
establish
a
breeding
population
at
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
and
from
there
to
release
birds
onto
another
predator
free
island.
In
1990
three
males
and
three
females
were
brought
from
Dent
Island
to
form
the
nucleus
of
a
new
breeding
population.
At
that
time
very
little
was
known
of
its
ecology
or
behaviour.
It
was
1994
before
Campbell
Island
teal
bred
for
the
first
time
in
captivity.
Another
breakthrough
year
was
in
1996
with
four
pair
breeding
at
the
National
Wildlife
Centre
-
our
population
doubled
in
one
season
from
12
to
24
birds.
The
long-term
objective
is
to
restore
this
species
to
Campbell
Island
after
the
eradication
of
rats
and
cats.
What
are
the
programme
aims,
The
programme
aims
to
produce
offspring
that
can
be
released
onto
Campbell
Island.
Research
objectives;
Continue
to
develop
research
techniques
for
the
and
rearing
and
disease
management
of
CIT.
Progress
to
date;
So
far
21
CIT
have
been
released
onto
Campbell
Island
from
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce.
What
we
will
do
in
the
future;
Continue
to
maintain
at
least
10
pairs
of
CIT
for
the
breeding
programme
to
re-stock
Campbell
Island
Latest
bit
of
info
about
specific
birds
Two
of
the
10
pairs
have
started
to
breed
so
far
with
another
pair
making
signs
that
they
are
ready
to
breed
too.
Release
info
Before
the
birds
could
be
moved,
they
had
to
be
screened
for
diseases,
vaccinated
again
the
erysipalis
disease
that
struck
the
kakapo
this
year,
and
trained
to
enter
the
specially
design
wooden
crates
that
they
would
travel
in
to
the
island.
Each
bird
was
fitted
with
a
radio
transmitter
so
that
it
can
be
monitored
once
released
and
bands
with
special
colour
combinations
were
also
attached
to
the
birds.
The
birds
flew
from
Palmerston
North
airport
to
Invercargill
and
then
traveled
to
Bluff
where
they
were
put
on
a
fishing
vessel
bound
for
Campbell
Island,
a
journey
which
would
take
2
days
in
rough
seas.
All
50
birds
made
a
very
good
recovery
from
the
long
sea
journey
and
some
birds
even
managed
to
feed
themselves
so
well
on
the
boat,
that
they
gained
a
bit
of
weight!!
Apparently
some
of
the
humans
accompanying
the
birds
on
the
boat
fared
less
well
!
It
was
a
journey
of
a
lifetime
for
these
birds.
For
the
species
it
meant
that
it
now
has
a
good
chance
of
being
able
to
recover
and
live
once
more
on
Campbell
Island.
What
we’re
doing
Reintroduction
All
50
teal
were
monitored
up
until
the
team
left
Campbell
Island
5
weeks
after
arriving
and
all
the
birds
ere
still
alive!
A
wonderful
result.
Further
monitoring
of
the
released
CIT
on
Campbell
Island
will
occur
in
February
2005.
This
monitoring
will
provide
a
picture
of
whether
the
teal
released
in
October
2004
have
bred
over
the
summer
season.
What’s
happening
Last
breeding
season,
there
were
19
fledglings
produced
at
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
and
in
September
this
year
we
were
involved
in
an
exciting
relocation
of
these
young
birds.
The
juveniles,
along
with
2
adults,
were
taken
down
to
Campbell
Island.
The
species
had
all
but
died
out
on
the
island
due
to
rats.
Other
birds
came
from
Codfish
Island
and
7
birds
came
from
Peacock
Springs
wildlife
centre
in
Christchurch,
making
a
total
of
50
teal
in
all.
Names
of
the
birds
There
are
10
breeding
pairs
of
Campbell
Island
teal
currently
being
held
at
Pukaha
Mt
Bruce.
They
are
housed
in
pairs
and
they
are
named:
Helena
and
Erebus;
Foliosa
and
Spence;
Tilbea
and
Duris;
Smoothy
and
Clifton;
Fairchild
and
Russ;
Lily
and
Kirk;
Poa
and
Menhir;
Ella
and
Geordy;
Cook
and
Guthrie;
Poly
and
Garrick.
Some
of
the
names
of
these
birds
are
taken
from
Campbell
Island
itself.
For
instance,
Poa
is
the
name
of
the
tussock
grass
found
on
the
island
and
Menhir
is
the
name
of
one
of
the
hills.
Read
more
about
the
return
of
Campbell
Island
teal
home
here...
New
Zealand’s
rarest
duck,
the
Campbell
Island
teal,
survives
only
on
remote
subantarctic
Dent
Island,
where
less
than
20
birds
remain.
A
captive
population
has
been
formed
at
the
National
Wildlife
Centre
which
will
produce
birds
for
eventual
release
onto
a
suitable
island.
Captive
breeding
is
the
major
conservation
work
in
the
fight
to
save
these
endangered
birds.
Teal
were
first
brought
to
the
National
Wildlife
Centre
at
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
in
1984.
These
wild-caught
birds
bred
in
captivity
for
the
first
time
in
the
summer
of
1994/5
with
one
pair
raising
four
ducklings
from
two
clutches.
Over
the
1996/97
breeding
season,
three
captive
bred
females
successfully
raised
ducklings,
thereby
significantly
boosting
the
captive
population.
The
13
juveniles
that
fledged
over
the
1996/97
season
form
a
strong
basis
for
establishing
a
second
wild
population
and
therefore
reducing
the
risk
of
extinction
