Data Zone
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.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Near Threatened | A3c |
| 2016 | Vulnerable | B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) |
| 2013 | Vulnerable | B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) |
| 2012 | Vulnerable | B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) |
| 2008 | Vulnerable | B2a+b(i,ii,iii,iv,v) |
| 2006 | Vulnerable | |
| 2004 | Vulnerable | |
| 2000 | Vulnerable | |
| 1996 | Vulnerable | |
| 1994 | Vulnerable | |
| 1988 | Threatened |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | medium |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 1,260,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 6000-15000 mature individuals | medium | estimated | 2007 |
| Population trend | decreasing | medium | suspected | - |
| Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 10-19% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 10-19% | - | - | - |
| Generation length | 5.3 years | - | - | - |
| Number of subpopulations | 2-100 | - | - | - |
| Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation | 1-89% | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number 10,000-19,999 individuals (derived from L.G. Sorenson in litt. 2007 and L. Mugica in litt. 2007). This equates to 6,667-13,333 mature individuals, rounded here to 6,000-15,000 mature individuals. The largest subpopulation of up to 14,000 individuals is found in Cuba (González Alonso et al. 2012). A further 1,500 individuals occur in the Bahamas; 4,500 individuals are found on other islands. Overall, the estimate of the global population size is conservative; it may be revised upwards if more recent estimates become available.
Trend justification: Once abundant and widespread, West Indian Whistling-duck has declined throughout most of its range in the past. Despite facing a variety of threats, the population is currently increasing at a moderate rate, owing to conservation efforts throughout the range (L. G. Sorenson in litt. 2012). Since 1997, environmental education and awareness campaigns have been carried out, which proved successful in changing attitudes and so far encouraged the creation of protected areas and reduced illegal hunting of the species (Sorenson et al. 2004, Lawrence 2019). The population declines therefore seem to be historical, and the population is currently assumed to be recovering due to intense conservation action. The population is estimated to have increased at a rate of 10-19% over the last three generations (15.9 years). While parts of the population show signs of recovery, the species is dependent on active conservation measures, without which it would potentially qualify as threatened. Moreover, there is concern that future climate change and extreme weather events may negatively impact the species’s habitat availability (L. G. Sorenson in litt. 2019). Therefore precautionarily, the species is suspected to undergo a moderate decline in the future.
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anguilla (to UK) | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bahamas | extant | native | yes | |||
| Barbados | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Bermuda (to UK) | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cuba | extant | native | yes | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Dominica | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Dominican Republic | extant | native | yes | |||
| Grenada | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Haiti | extant | native | yes | |||
| Jamaica | extant | native | yes | |||
| Martinique (to France) | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | extant | native | yes |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) | major | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | major | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | major | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Swamp | major | resident |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | No decline | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | No decline | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Rattus rattus | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
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| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | No decline | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
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| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 3 | ||||||
|
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| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/west-indian-whistling-duck-dendrocygna-arborea 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.