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Threatened Waterfowl of the World
Lesser white-fronted goose

We shan't save all we should like to, but we shall save a great deal more than if we had never tried. 

- Sir Peter Scott, 1909 – 1989

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species.

The IUCN Red List is used by government agencies, wildlife departments, conservation-related non-governmental organisations (NGOs), natural resource planners, educational organisations, students, and the business community. The Red List process has become a massive enterprise involving the IUCN Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge Team staff, partner organisations and experts in the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and partner networks who compile the species information to make The IUCN Red List the indispensable product it is today.

The IUCN SSC Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group (TWSG) identifies which Anseriformes taxa are globally threatened, monitors their status, produces international action plans and exchanges information on conservation projects on globally threatened Anseriformes and encourages contacts between everyone working with or enthusiastic about these ducks, geese, swans and screamers. 

To date, the TWSG has helped bring about about major advances in the conservation of many threatened waterfowl, such as the Hawaiian goose, red- breasted goose, white-headed duck and white-winged duck.

To conserve the world’s most threatened waterfowl by focusing on direct action; developing, demonstrating and disseminating best conservation practices and processes; and actively promoting and encouraging information exchange on threatened waterfowl monitoring, research, conservation and public awareness worldwide. We will do this through producing and implementing international action plans, incorporating in situ and ex situ conservation tools, as necessary; by providing advice to policymakers, international conventions and practitioners; encouraging information exchange and cooperation amongst threatened waterfowl conservationists and with other relevant conventions and organisations.

Taxa of threatened waterfowl

TWSG is primarily interested in the species, subspecies and populations of Anseriformes listed below, but keeps watch over every family member:

Species

Extinct species

The IUCN category Extinct includes species extinct since 1500.

  1. New Zealand Swan Cygnus sumnerensis
  2. Mauritian Shelduck Alopochen mauritiana
  3. Réunion Shelduck Mascarenachen kervazoi
  4. Chatham Island Duck Pachyanas chathamica
  5. Finsch’s Duck Chenonetta finschi
  6. Mauritian Duck Anas theodori
  7. Amsterdam Island Duck Anas marecula
  8. Labrador Duck Camptorhynchus labradorius
  9. Auckland Islands Merganser Mergus australis

Critically Endangered

  1. Crested Shelduck Tadorna cristata
  2. Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis
  3. Pink-headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea
  4. Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri
  5. Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata
  6. White-winged Duck Asarcornis scutulata
  7. Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus

Endangered

  1. Blue Duck Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
  2. Hawaiian Duck Anas wyvilliana
  3. Meller’s Duck Anas melleri
  4. Madagascar Teal Anas bernieri
  5. Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus
  6. White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala
  7. Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa

 Vulnerable

  1. Swan Goose Anser cygnoid
  2. Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus
  3. Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis
  4. Blue-winged Goose Cyanochen cyanoptera
  5. White-headed Steamer Duck Tachyeres leucocephalus
  6. Eaton’s Pintail Anas eatoni
  7. Philippine Duck Anas luzonica
  8. Andaman Teal Anas albogularis
  9. Campbell Islands Teal Anas nesiotis
  10. Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris
  11. Common Pochard Aythya ferina
  12. Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca
  13. Steller’s Eider Polysticta stelleri
  14. Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis

Near Threatened

  1. West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea
  2. Hawaiian Goose Branta sandvicensis
  3. Northern Screamer Chauna chavaria
  4. Emperor Goose Anser canagicus
  5. Orinoco Goose Oressochen (Neochen) jubata
  6. Falcated Duck Mareca falcata
  7. Sunda teal, Anas gibberifrons
  8. Auckland Island Teal Anas aucklandica
  9. Brown Teal Anas chlorotis
  10. Spectacled Duck Speculanas specularis
  11. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
  12. Black Scoter Melanitta americana
  13. Common Eider Somateria mollissima
  14. Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri
  15. Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis

Least concern

(only those species that were previously listed in a higher category are shown here)

  1. Comb Duck Sarkidiornis sylvicola
  2. Baikal Teal Sibrionetta formosa
  3. Stejneger’s Scoter Melanitta stejnegeri  (as Asiatic White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca deglandi)
  4. Salvadori's teal, Salvadorina waigiuensis

Above: New Zealand brown teal, Anas chlorotis

Above: White-headed duckl, Oxyura leucocephala

Above: Laysan teal, Anas laysanensis

Above: Meller's duck, Anas melleri

Above: Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis

Above: Baer's pochard, Aythya baeri

Sub-species

Extinct since human contact, AD 1600

  1. Coue's Gadwall Mareca strepera couesi
  2. Mariana Mallard Anas platyrhynchos oustaleti
  3. Rennell Island Grey Teal Anas gracilis remissa
  4. Chatham Island Teal Anas chlorotis ssp. nov

Critically Endangered

  1. Niceforo’s Pintail Anas georgica niceforoi
  2. Borrero’s Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera borreroi

Endangered

  1. Madagascar White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus insularis
  2. Tropical Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera tropica
  3. Galapagos Pintail Anas bahamensis galapagensis
  4. Crozet Islands Pintail Anas eatoni drygalskii
  5. Colombian Andean Duck Oxyura ferruginea andina

Vulnerable

  1. Recherche Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae grisea
  2. Middendorf's Bean Goose Anser fabalis middendorffi
  3. Thick-billed Bean Goose Anser serrirostris serrirostris
  4. Tule Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons elgasi
  5. Dusky Canada Goose Branta canadensis occidentalis
  6. Peruvian Torrent Duck Merganetta armata leucogenis
  7. Colombian Torrent Duck Merganetta armata colombiana
  8. Australian Cotton Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus albipennis
  9. Merida Teal Anas andium altipetens
  10. Kerguelen Pintail Anas eatoni eatoni

Near Threatened

  1. Florida Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula fulvigula
  2. Australian Black Duck Anas superciliosa rogersi
  3. Lesser Grey Duck Anas superciliosa pelewensis
  4. Andean Teal Anas andium andium
  5. South Georgia Pintail Anas georgica georgica
  6. South American Pochard Netta erythropthalma erythropthalma
  7. Pacific Eider Somateria mollissima v-nigrum

 Least concern

(only those species that were previously listed in a higher category are shown here)

  1. Stejneger’s Scoter Melanitta stejnegeri  (in last TWSG list as Asiatic White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca deglandi)

Above: South Georgia pintail, Anas georgica georgica

Populations

Extinct since AD 1600

  1. Not evaluated

Critically Endangered

  1. Ruddy-headed Goose Chloephaga rubidiceps Mainland South America

Endangered

None

Vulnerable

  1. Black-necked Swan Cygnus melanocorypha Falkland Islands
  2. Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotus S/SE Asia
  3. Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix Falkland Islands
  4. Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus Atlantic Basin
  5. Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica Iceland (population in recent review is stable)

Near Threatened

  1. Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor S Asia
  2. Brent Goose Branta bernicla Parry Islands/Puget Sound
  3. Yellow-billed Pintail Anas georgica Falkland Islands
  4. Silver Teal Anas versicolor Falkland Islands
  5. Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus Pacific

Data deficient

  1. Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica Greenland/Eastern North America

Above: Chiloé wigeon, Mareca sibilatrix