to 50,000 in 2005. In 2014 there were about 120,000 grey teal in New Zealand and over 1 million in the world. Considering that now the grey teal is a common bird in the island, the government considered adding the duck to the game bird list when the Wildlife Act was reviewed in 2010. However it did not occur and the bird kept its conservation status. According to John Dyer, northern Wildlife Manager, Auckland Waikato Fish and Game Council, this decision caused some troubles between the Department of Conservation and the hunters that felt “misled for decades”. Indeed, along with the conservation status come penalties if one kills the bird. Yet, it is difficult for hunters not to shoot grey teal as it is numerous and often be seen flying among huge flocks of game ducks. At least 6% of the grey teal population is shot during the hunting season. On the contrary, in Australia the grey teal is one of the most common birds shot during the hunting season. For instance, in 2014, in the state of Victoria the hunting season lasted 3 months – while it only lasts 5 weeks in New Zealand – and hunters could shoot up to 10 grey teal daily. References External links BirdLife Species Factsheet Distribution and occurrences grey teal Birds of Oceania grey teal grey teal Articles containing video clips