Our Black Teal Ducks
We decided to name our brand Black Teal Bay in recognition of the friendly and relaxed Black Teal ducks we regularly encounter as they swim and dive out on the lake (note: they are also known as the New Zealand scaup or by their Māori name Papago). The small bays nearby are home to several groups of Black Teal who spend their days on the lake diving for food and if so inclined, come in to rest on the beach and enjoy the sun.
Black Teals are New Zealand's smallest and only true diving duck, staying under water for up to twenty seconds. They can dive to a depth of three metres and swim a good distance under water looking for food. Black Teal chicks at just one day old can dive to the same depth as their parents – and they learn to dive before they learn to fly.
The male Black Teals in particular have a distinctive black colour with a purplish / greenish sheen on the head and very yellow eyes while the female is overall browner in colour. Black Teal are squat in shape with large feet and have the classic rubber duckie silhouette. They are New Zealand’s smallest New Zealand duck, at 40 cm long and weighing around 650g.
Well known to Māori, they were first identified by James Cook and his crew at Dusky Sound in Fiordland during his 2nd voyage to New Zealand in 1773. Friendly by nature, Black Teal were easy targets for hunters and combined with a loss of habitat as European settlement increased numbers rapidly declined. Thankfully, they have enjoyed complete protection since 1934 and the population of Black Teals have recovered and are on the rise.
Black Teal are social birds, commonly gathering in groups on clear-water lagoons and lakes, and often nesting in proximity to one another. Nests are close to the water's edge amongst flax roots or even willows and can be so well hidden that the female may be completely covered with vegetation.
Black Teal are part of our natural environment and are our friendly neighbors. We respect their strength, independence, energy and positive spirit which symbolize what we are looking to emulate here at Black Teal Bay.
Our intention is for the Black Teal Bay brand to reflect not only the positive personality of our local Black Teal’s but also the symbolism of ducks across many cultures and religions. We like the Black Teal classic duck shape, name and its colours also have symbolic meaning for us: black representing our New Zealand origins and teal (the original name and callsign for Air New Zealand) symbolizing our international links and outlook.
