Birds
Madagascar Pochard
Aythya innotata · also called madagascar pochards
Thought extinct for over a decade, a Madagascar pochard surfaces from a dive on a remote volcanic lake, one of a tiny handful of survivors whose chance rediscovery in 2006 kept the world’s rarest duck from vanishing entirely.
Overview
The Madagascar pochard, Aythya innotata, is a Critically Endangered diving duck now found on a small number of lakes in northern Madagascar. Its dramatic rediscovery after being feared extinct, intensive captive breeding programme, and status as one of the rarest birds alive make it one of the most remarkable conservation stories of any waterbird.
Back from presumed extinction
After vanishing from view for more than ten years, a tiny population of Madagascar pochards was found surviving on a single remote volcanic lake in 2006, a discovery that transformed the species from presumed extinct into an active, ongoing conservation priority.
Status
Critically Endangered, with an extremely small population descended from the 2006 rediscovery, now bolstered by a captive breeding programme and releases at a second, more suitable lake.
Madagascar Pochard: common questions
Was the Madagascar pochard really thought to be extinct?
Yes, it had not been reliably seen for over a decade and was widely feared extinct before a tiny surviving population was discovered on a remote volcanic lake in northern Madagascar in 2006.
How is the Madagascar pochard being saved from extinction?
Conservationists established a captive breeding programme using birds from the rediscovered population, and have since released captive-bred ducks at a second, more suitable lake to establish an additional wild population.
How does the Madagascar pochard feed?
It is a diving duck, submerging to feed on aquatic invertebrates, plants, and seeds, rather than dabbling at the surface like many other duck species.
Why was the original lake unsuitable for the Madagascar pochard long-term?
The lake where the species was rediscovered offered poor-quality habitat for raising ducklings, which is part of why conservationists worked to establish captive-bred birds at a second, more suitable lake instead.