Justification of Red List category
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). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very 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.
Population justification
(Kear 2005)
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.
This species breeds in central Chile (Santiago to Valdivia), western Paraguay (BoquerĂ³n and Presidente Hayes) and northern Argentina (south to Buenos Aires) (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Madge and Burn 1988, Hayes 1995). It is partially migratory with southern populations moving north to Bolivia, south Brazil and Uruguay in the austral winter; northern breeding populations are largely sedentary (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Madge and Burn 1988).
Text account compilers
Ekstrom, J., Butchart, S., Harding, M.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-headed Duck Heteronetta atricapilla. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-headed-duck-heteronetta-atricapilla on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.