Family: Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, Swans)

Authority: Eyton, 1838

Red List Category

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Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range in which it occurs at a large number of sites, such that it does not meet or approach threatened thresholds based on range parameters. Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing and rates of reduction are suspected to increase over the next three generations, the rate of decline is not anticipated to become sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable. However, the population size is estimated to be small to moderately small with a minimum bound below population size thresholds: 8,500-20,000 mature individuals. In addition, there is an inferred population decline based on the recorded declines in Uganda, Madagascar and those reported from West Africa. Despite this concerns, the largest subpopulation is not close to thresholds for listing as threatened and rates of population reduction are not sufficiently rapid, as yet, hence the species is assessed as Least Concern.
Improved monitoring of this somewhat enigmatic species is advised, noting on one hand that improved population size estimates may result in an increased population size given the size of the range and the limitations of current monitoring schemes, but on the other that there is now a continuing decline in mature individuals and the specific predictions of an increasing rate of habitat loss due to unmitigated climatic shifts.

Population size: 8500-20000 mature individuals

Population trend: decreasing

Extent of occurrence (breeding/resident): 25,900,000 km²

Country endemic: no

Attributes
Realm - Afrotropical
IUCN System - Freshwater