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The grey teal (Anas gracilis) is a dabbling duck found in open wetlands in Australia and New Zealand.

Description

It is identified by the presence of a crimson coloured iris in its eyes, which is relatively more prominent in adult males.

It is a mottled brown duck with white and green flashes on its wings. Males and females share the same colouration, in contrast to the related chestnut teal, male and female of which are strikingly different. The grey teal has almost identical colouration to the female chestnut teal and the grey can only be distinguished by its lighter coloured neck and paler face. Juveniles are paler than adults, especially on the head. However, they can be identified by having a dull brown eye until matured. The bill of the grey teal is a blue-grey colour with dark lining around the edges. Feet are a similar colour to that of the bill being grey. The tendency seems to be that body moult (including wings) generally occurs between the months of January to March. However, it can also be seen in the Solomons and New Caledonia, where it is vagrant.

New Zealand range

The grey teal is a self-introduced species to New Zealand, arriving from Australia, where it is much more abundant. It was rare in New Zealand until the 1950s, but several natural events in Australia led to a huge increase in numbers. Now, it is a very common waterbird and can be found throughout New Zealand,

There are areas where the species is more concentrated (larger populations), such as the districts of Hawke's Bay, Waikato, South Auckland and Otago. Anas gracilis has also been seen wandering in the small New Zealand islands such as Chatham Islands (July 1951, December 1998) or Snares Islands (November 1987). which aids the rearing and survival of juveniles. The grey teal also prefers areas that have a sizeable marginal cover (meaning sufficient plant and vegetation growth around the margins),

Nesting is usually solitary for the grey teal; however, sometimes nesting sites will be close together, meaning breeding pairs may be close to one and other. Nesting time occurs between the months of June–February in South Australia and slightly later in the area of North Australia – and directed. Either way, "these flights occurred over distances up to across the arid inland.". To obtain seeds, grey teal will strip them from the aquatic vegetation. Although this disease usually is asymptomatic (infected but shows no symptoms) if severe the infection can result in weakness, lameness and loss of muscle tissue.

Relationship with humans

Game season and conservation status

thumb|Grey teal shot at [[Lake Burrumbeet is given emergency care.]]

The grey teal, Anas gracilis, is fully protected in New Zealand. The population was estimated at 20,000 birds in 1976 and has increased to 50,000 in 2005. Considering that now the grey teal is a common bird in the island, the government considered adding the duck to the game bird list when the Wildlife Act was reviewed in 2010. However it did not occur and the bird kept its conservation status.

References

  • BirdLife Species Factsheet
  • Distribution and occurrences