Once a widespread and common duck in New Zealand, their numbers have dwindled alarmingly as a result of habitat destruction and predation.

Northland’s east coast is one of the species’ most important strongholds. It supports one of only two remaining original wild populations, making it critical to the long-term survival of pāteke in New Zealand.

Additional populations have been established through the national captive rearing programme, which breeds birds each year for release at carefully selected sites around the country. These releases are playing an important role in the recovery of the species.

Pāteke at Northland’s key flocking sites have been counted annually each February since 1988. These long-term monitoring efforts provide valuable information on population trends and help assess how pāteke are responding to intensive predator control and habitat restoration along the east coast.

The Northland population increased steadily from around 100 birds in 2001 to a peak of almost 800 in 2014. However, flock counts have shown an apparent decline over the past six years, with 507 birds recorded in 2026.

This decline was compounded by an outbreak of avian botulism at the Ngunguru settling ponds in January 2026, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 80 pāteke. The event highlighted the vulnerability of this nationally significant population and the importance of proactive management.

Kiwi Coast is working alongside the Department of Conservation (DOC), Northland Regional Council (NRC), Brown Teal Recovery Program, hapū and community conservation groups to better understand the drivers behind the recent decline and develop an action plan to support the recovery of pāteke in Northland.

As part of this work, a Pāteke Flock Count Census has been proposed for 2027. This will investigate whether the apparent decline reflects a genuine reduction in population size or whether birds have dispersed to new flocking sites that are not currently included in the current monitoring programme.