Bird on verge of extinction

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 3

Bird on verge of extinction

Wellington reporter

Another New Zealand flightless bird has been found to be on the verge of extinction, the Campbell Island duck (Anas aucklandica nesiotis).

A recent Wildlife Service party to Dent Island off the west coast of Campbell Island found only four birds after 70 hours of searching. The most recent count in 1975 had estimated between 30 and 40 birds.

“We spent time over three weeks trying to estimate numbers but as soon as we got on to Dent Island it was clear something was wrong,” said Dr M. J. Williams, of the Wildlife Service. “We were not encounter-

ing the numbers of the bird we should have if numbers were the same as nine years ago.” There is no positive evidence that the duck lived on Campbell Island itself. Both the Auckland Island and Campbell Island flightless ducks are flightless forms of the New Zealand brown teal. One theory is that the birds on Dent Island may have rafted , there on seaweed floated from Auckland Island, and so may not be a separate sub-species. One male duck, known as “Swampy,” has been brought back from Dent Island to the Mount Bruce wildlife sanctuary in northern Wairarapa.