Review of Madagascar’s wildfowl 13
©Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
Wildfowl
(2013) 63: 5–23
Young
et al.
1997). Studies of captive and
wild birds have now outlined the species’
ecology and shown it to be a mangrove
specialist migrating short distances between
highly seasonal mangrove lagoon areas,
estuaries and the coast (Young 2002, 2006).
Madagascar Teal have been ringed during
moult at Lake Antsamaka since 1997 making
this species possibly the only one in
Madagascar with a long-term bird ringing
programme (Razafindrajao
et al
. 2012).
Disappointingly, and in contrast to the
dabbling ducks (above), there have until
recently been no equivalent ecological
studies of the pochard and white-backed
duck. The Madagascar Pochard was not
seen reliably after 1960 until a single bird
was surprisingly caught alive in 1991 (Wilmé
1993; Young & Kear 2006). Despite several
thorough surveys (Young & Smith 1989;
Pidgeon 1996), a further 15 years passed
before a small population of pochards was
discovered in 2006 and the species’ survival
confirmed (Rene de Roland
et al
. 2007).
Genetic studies did confirm the close
relationship of
A. innotata
to the
Australasian Hardhead
A. australis
(Young &
Kear 2006). A project to determine the
ecology of the Madagascar Pochard and to
obtain a better understanding of the reasons
for the species’ decline commenced in 2010.
Madagascar White-backed Duck has only
once been the subject of study (Woolaver &
Nichols 2007), and this species’ distribution
and status in Madagascar remains unclear
(Young
et al
. 2007).
There have been no systematic island-
wide wildfowl surveys, mostly because of the
sheer size of Madagascar and its individual
wetlands, logistical constraints and the
limited numbers of observers available to
undertake the work. Counts have been
submitted to the African Waterbird Census
(see
e.g.
Scott & Rose 1996). Projet
ZICOMA (1999) analysed 101 sites (all
biotypes including wetlands) and there have
been a small number of regional surveys (
e.g.
Young
et al
. 2005; Razafimanjato
et al
. 2007)
and surveys of individual wetland sites (
e.g.
Rabarisoa
et al
. 2006). Estimates of the
population of each endemic duck taxa were
made in 1994 (Rose & Scott 1994) and
revised by H.G. Young in 2002, through an
overall understanding of the current status
of Madagascar’s wetlands and collaboration
with local and international colleagues over
many years (Delany & Scott 2002). The 2002
estimates have been repeated (
e.g
. Delany
& Scott 2006) and, with the exception of
the subspecies
T. leuconotus insularis
(which is
not included), and Madagascar Pochard
(rediscovered in 2006), modified by
BirdLife International (BirdLife 2013). At
publication, the estimated populations are
(BirdLife International 2013 unless
otherwise stated): Madagascar White-backed
Duck (1,000–2,000; Wetlands International
2013); Madagascar Teal 1,500–2,500
individuals, Meller’s Duck 2,000–5,000
individuals and Madagascar Pochard 20–49
mature (wild) individuals (see Table 2 for
history of published estimates and changes
in threat status over the period 1978–2013).
Young
et al
. (2006) suggest that the
population of
T. leuconotus insularis
should be
considered as < 1,000 birds.
Protection at last
With almost no understanding of the
distribution and ecology of Madagascar’s
