Data Zone
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). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to 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
(Wetlands International 2006)
Trend justification
The overall trend is suspected to be decreasing (Wetlands International 2006).
This taxon is found along the Andes of South America, and occurs in six subspecies: columbiana is found from Venezuela to north Ecuador; leucogenis from central Ecuador to central Peru; turneri in south Peru; garleppi in Bolivia; berlepschi in north Chile and north-west Argentina; and armata throughout most of the Andes of Chile and Argentina.
The species inhabits mountain rivers and streams of fast-flowing, clear waters, situated at anything from over 4,500 m in the high Andes to sea level in the south of its range (del Hoyo et al. 1992).
Text account compilers
Ekstrom, J., Butchart, S., Harding, M., Fisher, S.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Torrent Duck Merganetta armata. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/torrent-duck-merganetta-armata on 22/12/2024.
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 22/12/2024.