Pukaha Mount Bruce's breeding season starts early

Pukaha Mount Bruce is celebrating the beginning of this year’s breeding season with the hatching of 6 pāteke (brown teal) ducklings. Hatched over the weekend in the free flight aviary the ducklings can now be spotted out and about on the aviary pond.

The free flight aviary at Pukaha was opened just over a year ago. It houses not just pāteke but also a breeding pair of Whio (blueduck), kaka, red-crowned kakariki, bellbirds and tui. This year the aviary will also become home to Pukaha’s captive geckos. There are plans underway for a purpose built gecko enclosure to be housed in the aviary.

This is the pāteke second breeding season in the aviary. Last year the pāteke pair produced 11 ducklings over 2 clutches of eggs.

“We are so pleased to see that the pāteke have not only embraced their new home, they are also in an environment that they are comfortable enough in, that they will produce ducklings” says Todd Jenkinson, Conservation Manager. “The aviary was designed to facilitate not only great viewing for the public, but also to continue our breed for release programmes. It’s really clear that the pāteke are as happy with the aviary as we are. It’s going to be amazing for our visitors to see the pāteke ducklings as they will be out and about on the aviary pond”.

ENDS

© Scoop Media