| 2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Least Concern Justification This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. Family/Sub-family Anatidae Species name author Linnaeus, 1758 Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), AOU checklist (1998 + supplements), Christidis and Boles (1994), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993) |
Population estimate | Population trend | Range estimate (breeding/resident) | Country endemic? | 2,600,000 - 2,800,000 | unset | 16,900,000 km2 | No |
Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria. | Ecology: Behaviour This species is highly migratory, breeding widely across Western Eurasia and wintering within the northern tropics16. It migrates on a broad front, the autumn migration beginning in late July and peaking in August or early September (in Europe and Egypt), with birds beginning to arrive in East and West Africa in early September, peaking in October16. Once the species reaches Africa it migrates in relation to seasonal flooding, the central point of its occurrence shifting gradually along the course of rivers as the winter progresses17. The spring migration begins in February, with birds beginning to arrive on breeding grounds from mid-March to early-May16. It is a highly sociable and gregarious species3, 4, and whilst breeding can be found in single pairs or small groups, but regularly forms large congregations of several hundred on passage, and flocks of up to several thousand are common in African and Asiatic winter quarters3, 4. Adults undergo a post-breeding moult period that leaves them flightless for 3-4 weeks, with males moulting between mid-July and mid-August, and females between mid-August and September4, 5. The Volga Delta, in particular, is a major moulting area for this species15. Birds of this species are both diurnal and nocturnal feeders, and when migrating often travel by night and rest on open water during the day1. Habitat Breeding In the breeding season this species frequents small, shallow ponds and lakes with abundant floating, emergent and fringing vegetation1, 2 (that is not too tall or dense, such as bulrush - Typha spp.)4, 10, in grass dominated environments, like swampy meadows, flooded fields, shallow freshwater marshes1, 2, 18. Non-breeding During this season the species shows a preference for large freshwater or occasionally brackish lakes, again with abundant floating, emergent and fringing vegetation5, also shallow flood plains, shallow dams, pans and sewage ponds (in South Africa)11. The species also frequents coastal saltmarshes and lagoons on passage2 and may spend the day resting on marine inshore waters when migrating3. Diet Breeding When breeding this species is omnivorous1. In spring and summer its diet is dominated by animal matter: chiefly molluscs, aquatic insects and their larvae (waterbugs, caddisfly, waterbeetles, midges), crustaceans (ostracods and phyllopods especially), worms, leeches, young and spawn of frogs, and small fish1, 11. Seeds, roots, tubers, stems, leaves and buds of plants such as Hornwort Ceratophyllum, Naiad Najas, sedge, grass and other aquatic plants are also important at this time1, 2, 4. Non-breeding During this season the birds are mainly vegetarian, with a diet dominated by the seeds of pondweeds, smartweeds Polygonum, sedges, dock Rumex, wild rice and grass5, (with the seeds of Echinochloa colona, Nymphea micranthia and Nymphea lotus being the most preferred food items)19. Breeding site Meadows are the favoured nesting areas of this species, with nests rarely located more than 150 m from water (usually within 20 m)4. The nest itself is a depression in the ground, typically situated under rushes or tall grasses (such as manna grass, Glyceria), but not generally under shrubs1, 2.
| Threats Breeding The most significant threat encountered by this species on its breeding grounds in Europe is habitat deterioration through the drainage and reclamation of wetlands5, the increasing climatic aridity and subsequent lowering of the water table, and the transformation of wetlands to dammed reservoirs16. Other threats to this species include the destruction of nests during the early mowing of meadows5, increased human disturbance5, lead poisoning, botulism during hot summers5 and hunting disturbance in Africa and Europe7 (> 500,000 are shot annually in Russia, Ukraine, France and Poland)5. The invasive species American Mink Mustela vison also poses a threat through nest predation6, and the species is susceptible to avian influenza (particularly strain H5N1) so is therefore threatened by outbreaks of the virus12. Non-breeding On its wintering grounds in Nigeria and Senegal the species is threatened by habitat destruction through dam construction, vegetation overgrowth and desertification2, 8, 9, and in West Africa it is threatened by large-scale river diversion and irrigation schemes16. The species is also at risk from avain influenza in its African wintering grounds21 as well as in its breeding areas12. The proportion of the species which migrates via the West Siberian flyway is susceptible to West Nile Virus, and is therefore threatened by future outbreaks20. Utilisation This species is hunted in Denmark , but there is evidence that this may be sustainable13. The species is also hunted for commercial and recreational purposes in Gilan Province, northern Iran22.
| References 1. Johnsgard (1978). 2. de Hoyo. (1992). 3. Madge and Burn (1988). 4. Cramp and Simmons (1977). 5. Kear (2005b). 6. Opermanis et al. (2001). 7. Vaananen (2001). 8. Polet (2000). 9. Triplett and Yesou (2000). 10. Green (1998). 11. Hockey et al. (2005). 12. Melville and Shortridge (2006). 13. Bregnballe et al. (2006). 16. Scott and Rose (1996). 17. Alerstam (1990). 18. Schricke (2001). 19. Treca (1981). 20. Ternovoi et al. (2004). 21. Gaidet et al. (2007). 22. Balmaki and Barati (2006).
| Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Lucy Malpas (BirdLife International) | IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International) |
| Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Anas querquedula. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/2/2010 | This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List. To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums |
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