Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
It is projected that this species could undergo a rapid decline in the near future owing to predation by feral cats, and it therefore qualifies as Vulnerable.
Population justification
The population on the Crozet Islands was estimated at 600-700 pairs in 1980-1982 and on the Kerguelen Islands the population was estimated at 15,000-20,000 pairs in 1982-1985, although the numbers on the Kerguelen Islands could have been much lower. The maximum estimate for the total population in the early 1980s is therefore 31,200-41,400 mature individuals (roughly equating to 45,000-60,000 indidivuals in total), however the population is expected to have declined significantly since (A. Green in litt. 1999).
Trend justification
The population trend over the next three generations is projected to show a 30-49% decline based on the expected levels of predation by introduced mammals.
Anas eatoni has two island subspecies in the southern Indian Ocean: nominate eatoni is confined to the Kerguelen Islands and drygalskyi to the Crozet Islands, both French Southern Territories. On Kerguelen, it occurs only around the coast, less than 20% of the total area (M. Pascal per B. Hughes in litt. 1999). In the 1950s and 1960s, eatoni was introduced to Amsterdam Island (also part of the French Southern Territories), but has not been seen there since 1970 (Ogilvie and Young 1998) and is assumed to have been extirpated. In 1980-1982, the population was estimated at 600-700 pairs on Crozet and, in 1982-1985, at 15,000-20,000 pairs on Kerguelen (Jouventin et al. 1988), but could now be considerably less. Although there is no information on trend, a rapid decline may already be well advanced (A. Green in litt. 1999).
It occupies small freshwater lakes, as well as pools, marshes, peatbogs and streams, being more frequent on the coast in winter where it is found in coastal lagoons, along the sea shore and especially in sheltered bays (Scott and Rose 1996, Ogilvie and Young 1998). It feeds on vegetation, insects and crustaceans (Jouventin et al. 1988). Outside the breeding season, it occurs in small parties, occasionally in concentrations of up to 200 birds on Kerguelen (Scott and Rose 1996). The breeding season is from November to the end of January or February (Scott and Rose 1996) and clutch size is a minimum of five (Jouventin et al. 1988).
It was formerly much hunted by sealers and scientific expeditions, with 200-300 shot each year after the establishment of a base in 1950 (Green 1992, Scott and Rose 1996). Today, introduced predators are the greatest threat on Possession, Cochons Island (Crozet) and the Kerguelen Islands (Green 1992, Scott and Rose 1996, Ogilvie and Young 1998). On Kerguelen, feral cats may prove to be a serious threat in the near future if petrels, their staple prey, reach low levels (Jouventin et al. 1988). The birds introduced to Amsterdam probably disappeared owing to predation by feral cats and brown rat Rattus norvegicus (Green 1992).
Conservation Actions Underway
Some of the smaller islands in the Kerguelen Islands and four of the Crozet Islands are included within the Parc National Antarctique Francais and are a Specially Protected Area (Jouventin and Micol 1995).
40-45 cm. Small, short-necked pintail. Resembles female Northern Pintail A. acuta, but darker overall tone, more reddish-brown, and scalloping on flanks smaller and less obvious. Male has elongated central tail feathers and green speculum bordered with white. Minority of males (1%) assume brighter breeding plumage with trace of chocolate-brown on head and whitish stripe up side of neck. Female has brown speculum bordered with white. Subspecies similar but drygalskii slightly paler, more buff on breast, and some birds show fine vermiculations on lower hindneck and flanks.
Text account compilers
Allinson, T, Ekstrom, J., Shutes, S., Stattersfield, A., Symes, A., Taylor, J., Temple, H.
Contributors
Green, A., Pascal, M., Hughes, B.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Southern Pintail Anas eatoni. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/southern-pintail-anas-eatoni on 22/11/2024.
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 22/11/2024.