Table of Contents
Is the Madagascan Pochard endangered?
Critically Endangered (Population stable)Madagascar pochard / Conservation status
What is the world’s rarest duck?
the Madagascar pochard
The rarest bird in the world – a species of duck called the Madagascar pochard – has been given a new home in time for the new year. An international team of researchers released 21 of the birds at a lake in the north of Madagascar.
What do Madagascar pochard eat?
aquatic insects
The Madagascar pochard feeds mainly on aquatic insects, unlike other diving ducks in the same genus, Aythya. Ducklings begin making short dives at around 14 days old, before which they feed on the surface.
Why are Madagascar Pochard endangered?
Widespread degradation caused by deforestation, overfishing and pollution, has had huge implications for the animals that depend on them for food and shelter. Until a surprise discovery in 2006, Madagascar pochards were thought extinct.
Are Pochards rare?
A rare nesting bird, but much more common in the winter when it can be found in large numbers on lakes, reservoirs, flooded gravel pits and estuaries around the country.
What is a Madagascar pochard habitat?
HABITAT: The Madagascan Pochard frequents freshwater lakes, pools and swamps. It needs areas of open water and islets of vegetation. This type of habitat was that of Lake Alaotra, but the rediscovery site, Lake Matsaborimena, is a deep volcanic lake and lacks emergent vegetation and fish.
What is the most uncommon bird in the world?
THE 10 RAREST BIRDS IN THE WORLD
- GOLDEN PHEASANT (Chrysolophus pictus)
- CEBU FLOWERPECKER (Dicaeum quadricolor)
- NEW CALEDONIAN OWLET-NIGHTJAR (Aegotheles savesi)
- IMPERIAL AMAZON (Amazona imperialis)
- BLUE-EYED GROUND-DOVE (Columbina cyanopis)
- Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus)
- Rufous-headed Hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni)
What do pochard ducks eat?
What they eat: Plants and seeds, snails, small fish and insects.
What kind of species is Madagascar Pochard?
The Madagascar Pochard (Aythya innotata) is an extremely rare diving duck of the genus Aythya, previously thought extinct. Prior to a rediscovery in 2006, the last confirmed sighting of the species was at Lake Alaotra on the Central Plateau of Madagascar in 1991.
How many Madagascar pochard ducklings have been found?
A total of 12 Madagascar pochard ducklings have been sighted on Lake Sofia, a remote site in northern Madagascar, where 21 captive-bred pochards, known locally as ‘Fotsimaso ’, were released by conservationists at Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in December 2018.
How was the Madagascar pochard reintroduced to the wild?
With a long-term community project in place to promote healthier wetlands for everyone, the reintroduction of the Madagascar pochard into the wild was given the go ahead. To accommodate the diving ducks’ water-based needs, floating salmon farming cages from Scotland were adapted into half-way homes for the ducks.
How old are the ducklings on Lake Sofia in Madagascar?
In November, conservationists celebrated the appearance of 12 Madagascar Pochard ( Aythya innotata) ducklings on Lake Sofia in northern Madagascar. They had introduced a set of young adult pochards there in December 2018 but did not expect them to reproduce so quickly. Diving ducks normally don’t breed until they are 2 years old.
What is the population of the Madagascar pochard?
The total world population of the Madagascar Pochard was soon estimated at between twenty and twenty-five individuals, and they appeared to be confined to just two small lakes close to each other (it was later learned that birds were using three of a group of four small lakes).