Maccoa duck (African ruddy duck)

Oxyura maccoa

Maccoa stekelstaart / Afr. Ruderente / Erismature d'Afrique

Also known as the African ruddy duck, this species was listed as Vulnerable, but as recently as 2021 uplisted to Endangered. owing to its moderately small population size and ongoing declines resulting from a variety of threats. Further quantitative estimates of the rate of decline may qualify the species for Vulnerable.

Oxyura maccoa has a large range, with the global population estimated to be 9,000-11,750 individuals and divided into a northern population occurring in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya andTanzania, and a southern population found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe (Berruti et al. 2005, 2007). South Africa supports the largest national population with 4,500-5,500 individuals (Berruti et al. 2005, 2007). The total population for southern Africa is approximately 7,000-8,250 individuals. In East Africa and Ethiopia the main populations occur in Ethiopia (500-2,000) and Kenya (1,000), with an estimated 2,000-3,500 individuals in total (Berruti et al. 2005, 2007). 

The global population is estimated to be 9,000-11,750 individuals, roughly equivalent to 6,000-7,900 mature individuals.

More information: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/100600360/0

Ringsize: 9mm

 
Above: Male Maccoa duck (at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, 2005)

Above: female and male Maccoa duck (at Sylvan Heights Bird Park, 2005)

Above: Male Maccoa duck (WWT Slimbridge, 2016)

Above: Male Maccoa duck (WWT Slimbridge, 2016)

Above: Close-ups of Stiff-tailed ducks (genus Oxyura) for identification. Click to enlarge.