LC
White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N. J.; Christie, D. A.; Elliott, A.; Fishpool, L. D. C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 25,900,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 8000-19000 mature individuals poor estimated 2009
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 9.7 years - - -

Population justification: The population is estimated to number 12,000-28,000 individuals, roughly equating to 8,000-19,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The overall trend is decreasing, although some populations may be stable (Wetlands International 2006).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Angola extant native yes
Benin extant native yes
Botswana extant native yes
Burkina Faso extant vagrant yes
Burundi extant native yes
Cameroon extant native yes
Chad extant native yes
Congo extant native yes
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native yes
Eswatini extant native yes
Ethiopia extant native yes
Kenya extant native yes
Lesotho extant native yes
Madagascar extant native yes
Malawi extant native yes
Mali extant native yes
Mauritania extant vagrant yes
Mozambique extant native yes
Namibia extant native yes
Nigeria extant native yes
Rwanda extant native yes
Senegal extant native yes
Somalia extant vagrant yes
South Africa extant native yes
South Sudan extant vagrant yes
Sudan extant native yes
Tanzania extant native yes
Togo extant vagrant yes
Uganda extant native yes
Zambia extant native yes
Zimbabwe extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Botswana Okavango Delta
South Africa Nyl River Floodplain
South Africa Grasslands
Zambia Sumbu National Park and Tondwa Game Management Area

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable resident
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) major resident
Wetlands (inland) Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable resident
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Thalassornis leuconotus. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/white-backed-duck-thalassornis-leuconotus on 06/12/2023.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org on 06/12/2023.