• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

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. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
D	D	D1+2

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Critically Endangered	D
2016	Critically Endangered	D
2015	Critically Endangered	D
2013	Critically Endangered	D
2012	Critically Endangered	D
2011	Critically Endangered	D1
2010	Critically Endangered	D1
2009	Critically Endangered	D1
2008	Critically Endangered
2007	Critically Endangered
2006	Critically Endangered
2004	Critically Endangered
2000	Critically Endangered
1996	Critically Endangered
1994	Critically Endangered
1988	Threatened

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

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	25 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	4 km2
Area of Occupancy (non-breeding)	16 km2
Number of locations	1	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	30-50,45 mature individuals	good	observed	2022
Population trend	stable	good	observed	-
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	127%	-	-	-
Generation length	4.2 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	100%	-	-	-

Population justification: The wild population appears to be stable at up to 70 individuals (BIAZA 2022), placed in a band of 50-70 individuals. The proportion of the counted individuals that are mature is uncertain, however high chick mortality (Bamford et al. 2015) logically suggests a high proportion of adults in the population. A frequently used ratio is that two thirds of individuals are considered mature individuals, which would give a range of 33-47 mature individuals, rounded to 30-50 mature individuals. This matches the estimate derived from the data of WWT/The Peregrine Fund/Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust  with a best estimate of 45 mature individuals (P. Cranswick, A. Bamford, L.-A. Réne de Roland, H.G. Young in litt. 2019). All of this population occurs in one small area, where habitat is limited, and food density and availability is naturally low. The site is considered to perhaps be only able to support around 50 mature individuals, though numbers may fluctuate in the short term following a good breeding year (P. Cranswick, A. Bamford, L.-A. Réne de Roland, H.G. Young in litt. 2019). 

Precise recent counts are of 62 present at the rediscovery site in September 2022 (S. Mahood in litt. 2022) and 64 in May 2019 (L.-A. Réne de Roland in litt. to H.G. Young 2020). Shortly after rediscovery in 2008 a total of 25 mature individuals were counted, with six pairs nesting in the 2007/08 season (L.-A. Rene de Roland in litt. 2008). No chicks fledged in 2008 or 2009 (P. Cranswick in litt. 2009, H.G. Young in litt. 2012), and only 19 adults were recorded in July 2009 (Jarrett 2010), including six females (Cranswick 2010). In 2011 there was again no successful breeding: the lake had little available suitable food (Cranswick 2012). In 2012 a total of 21 assumed mature individuals were counted (nine females and 13 males) and 20 breeding attempts were recorded (Bamford et al. 2015). Hence there has been a notable increase since 2008-2012, roughly equivalent to an increase of 127% over the past three generations, however these numbers are still so small that much of this increase may be within the range of natural population fluctuation (P. Cranswick, A. Bamford, L.-A. Réne de Roland, H.G. Young in litt. 2019). The reason for this increase is unclear, though an increase in chick survival in some years, presumably related to improved food availability appears a plausible mechanism, and the regular presence of researchers and increased awareness of the species may have halted previous low levels of hunting at the site.

No other sites are in suitable condition to support the species, so emigration from this site is highly unlikely to result in a new population elsewhere, consequently a further increase is not expected without significant conservation intervention at other sites (P. Cranswick, A. Bamford, L.-A. Réne de Roland, H.G. Young in litt. 2019).

Trend justification: The species declined dramatically in the past and became extinct in the Lake Alaotra region sometime prior to the early 1990s. This was considered the core population and was likely moderately large in the first part of the 20th century (Young and Kear 2006, Rene de Roland et al. 2007). No sightings were made until 2006, when a very small number were found at a seemingly marginal site distant from Lake Alaotra (Réne de Roland et al. 2007, Bamford et al. 2015). Numbers here increased from around 25 individuals in 2008-2012 (L.-A. Réne de Roland in litt. 2012, Bamford et al. 2015) up to near 70 individuals in 2022 (BIAZA 2022), but have been stable at around 60-65 between 2019 and 2022 (L.-A. Réne de Roland in litt. to H.G. Young 2020, S. Mahood in litt. 2022). The current trend is considered stable. The population is still extremely small and prone to stochastic events. Breeding success is very limited with no young reared in some years and detailed investigation indicated extremely high chick mortality likely due to inadequate food supplies (Bamford et al. 2015). The recent increase may be due to only one or two successful breeding years: the site is considered able to support around 50 mature individuals (P. Cranswick, A. Bamford, L.-A. Réne de Roland, H.G. Young in litt. 2019). The likelihood of dispersing young surviving away from main site is very low (H.G. Young in litt. 2012): no additional sites holding birds have been located despite searches.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Madagascar	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Madagascar	Lake Alaotra NPA

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)	major	resident
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)	major	resident
Altitude	700 - 1660 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Species mortality
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Species mortality
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Climate change & severe weather	Other impacts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Whole (>90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Eichhornia crassipes	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Micropterus salmoides	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Past Impact
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Competition
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Past Impact
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents - Soil erosion, sedimentation	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture	international

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/madagascar-pochard-aythya-innotata on 24/12/2024.
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 24/12/2024.