Once a widespread and common duck in New Zealand, their numbers have dwindled alarmingly as a result of habitat destruction and predation. The pāteke on Northlands east coast are of special interest as they are wild born pateke that have returned to the area after being locally extinct for many years.

While kiwi often remain the iconic goal, groups are also involved in a multitude of other activities such as pateke recovery, forest health, weed control, kauri dieback prevention, reintroductions of threatened species such as robins, forest fencing and riparian planting, etc.

Kiwi Coast works each year with community groups, specialist staff at DOC, the Pāteke Recovery Group and NorthTec to assist with the annual Northland Pāteke flock counts and investigate new sites.

Congregations of pāteke at Northland flock sites have been counted annually in February since 1988 to monitor population trends. The 2023 data have now been analysed and the news is good!

The data confirmed that the endangered endemic nocturnal ducks have continued to flourish on Northland’s east coast where intense predator control has been sustained. This year the flock count total was 625, an increase from last year.

DOC Senior Biodiversity Ranger, Nigel Miller analysed the results and stated the data showed “…a positive indication of pateke population trends, particularly since predator control started”.
“The small increase this year is a result of a couple of good breeding seasons driven by wet springs, but offset to some degree by the same wet conditions discouraging birds from joining flocks at all. So, hopefully the actual population is far greater than the numbers show.”

Mike Camm from the Pāteke Recovery Group added:
“No doubt due to a combination of factors like a suitable breeding climate, plentiful food supply and suppressed predator numbers.  A real testament to the benefit of the large-scale landscape predator trapping being undertaken”.

As numbers build in the vicinity of these flock sites, further dispersal is anticipated, particularly into the river catchments and estuaries at Ngunguru, Horahora, Pataua and Whangarei Harbour.  The sustained and steadily increasing predator control within the Kiwi Link 15,000ha network should significantly aid this process.

Ultimately their survival will depend the on suppression or elimination of mustelids and feral cats and the protection of waterways and wetlands. Continued annual flock counts will track the success of these measures in time.