Anas chlorotis
The Brown Teal (Anas chlorotis), a diminutive and enigmatic dabbling duck endemic to New Zealand, presents a striking appearance with its predominantly dark chestnut-brown plumage. Males are particularly handsome during the breeding season, boasting an iridescent green sheen on their head and neck, a prominent white eye-ring, and often a subtle white collar across the base of the neck, contrasting with their dark body. Females share a similar coloration but are generally duller, with a less d...
These adaptable ducks primarily inhabit lowland freshwater and estuarine wetlands, including slow-moving rivers, forested streams, coastal lagoons, and farm ponds, often requiring dense vegetation for cover.
Their diet is omnivorous, consisting mainly of aquatic invertebrates such as insect larvae, crustaceans, and mollusks, supplemented by seeds, tubers, and other parts of aquatic plants, foraged primarily by dabbling and upending.
Brown Teal exhibit a predominantly nocturnal or crepuscular foraging strategy, retreating to dense cover or secluded waterways during daylight hours to rest and preen, minimizing exposure to predators. They are classic dabbling ducks, feeding by upending in shallow water or sifting through mud an...
The Brown Teal (Anas chlorotis) is endemic to New Zealand, where it is found across both the North and South Islands, as well as several offshore islands, notably Great Barrier Island and, more recently, the Chatham Islands through reintroductions. Historically widespread across the entire New Ze...
Near Threatened
- The Brown Teal is endemic to New Zealand, found nowhere else in the world. - It was once considered one of the rarest ducks globally, with populations plummeting to just a few hundred individuals by the 1990s. - Unlike most dabbling ducks, Brown Teal are largely nocturnal, feeding predominantly...