BirdingNZ.net

I think this may have been covered before but what is DOCs stance on protecting any remaining Grey Duck. Is there any programme in place to capture any remaining 99% pure birds and start a captive breeding programme on offshore islands or are they just too impossible to stop when it comes to cross breeding with mallards thus rendering the idea a bit pointless. It seems nuts to me that this duck is possibly an extinct bird and yet gets very little attention.

I think Ive answered my own question. Not endemic?

They’re at minimum an endemic subspecies, at most an endemic species. But no no one really cares, which seems a bit ridiculous given their threat status and how easy it would be to establish a captive population just in case. I believe the big issue being a) finding pure birds with no introgression and actually catching them. And b) where do you put them? Mallards are everywhere from Fiordland through to the far north and all of the offshore islands including the Chathams. So they don’t really have anywhere to go.

However you do still see a reasonable number of lure birds about, especially in far Fiordland, and higher alpine areas. So they’re out there. Just gotta hope mallards don’t expand into their last remaining habitat.

Yes a tricky one - I would have thought a good option would be a "controlled breeding" programme at one of the fenced sanctuaries. Removal of mallards/cross breeds and constant introduction of greys (egg replacement and captive release) probably ongoing forever....
I imagine there is a particular habitat where greys have a competitive advantage - it would be finding, establishing and maintaining that niche...
Cheers Jim

Following some duck shooting pages on Facebook reveals some very convincing greys still being shot. I feel that the Fish and Game guys that do the annual banding would be a good source of stock. Flight-restriction and moving them to large, private pens would be the way to go in my opinion. I personally would be very interested in getting a pair or three for breeding purposes. Members of Ducks Unlimited used to hold some good birds

As above, I think they need to have a private sanctuary that has a consistent removal (probably via culling or trapping) of Mallards and hybrids, and then maybe one day reintroducing Grey Duck to an open sanctuary like Tiritiri Matangi.

Only if DOCs arrange for all of bad-tempered aggressive Mallard ducks and hybrid ducks to be eradicated out of NZ, and replace with our native Grey ducks. Otherwise Mallard ducks will carry on hybridizing with Paradise shelducks, Brown teals, Blue ducks and Grey ducks & Grey teals.