Madagascar Project Press Releases
Biologists for The Peregrine Fund recently re-discovered the Madagascar Pochard (Aythya innotata), a medium-sized diving duck that was considered extinct by many authorities until this current sighting. National Director for The Peregrine Fund’s Madagascar Project, Lily-Arison Rene de Roland, and field biologist, Thé Seing Sam, discovered the rare bird while conducting avian surveys in a remote part of northern Madagascar. They observed nine adults and four young that appeared to be nearly two weeks of age. Since their initial sighting, Rene de Roland and Sam have returned to the site to collect additional data and observations.
“This is an exciting discovery that strengthens our conviction that putting well-trained biologists into the field to learn about species is critical for conservation success,” said Rick Watson, International Programs Director for The Peregrine Fund.
The Madagascar Pochard is one of the country’s rarest and most endangered birds. The last confirmed sighting of the species was more than a decade and a half ago at Lake Alaotra on the Central Plateau of Madagascar in 1991. The single male was captured and kept in Antananarivo Zoological and Botanical Gardens until its death one year later.
Decline of the Madagascar Pochard is likely to have begun in the 1940s and 1950s in connection with degrading lake and marshland habitat from introduced plant and fish species, conversion to rice paddies, and burning. The last certain record of multiple birds (approximately 20) on Lake Alaotra is from June 1960. Little is known about the Madagascar Pochard, an extremely secretive and often solitary bird that prefers shallow and marshy habitat. Found only on Madagascar, most of the species’ behavior and life cycle is still unknown.
“Discovering the Madagascar Pochard while scouting for a threatened bird of prey, the Madagascar Harrier, illustrates how conservation of charismatic raptors can benefit species that share the same ecosystem,” said J. Peter Jenny, Acting President of The Peregrine Fund.
Conservation measures for the Madagascar Pochard underway and proposed include habitat protection and species restoration. The Peregrine Fund is collaborating with Madagascar’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests (MINENVEF) and several other conservation organizations to ensure a coordinated and effective approach is achieved.
Madagascar is one of the world’s top 10 conservation priorities. The Peregrine Fund has been working in Madagascar since 1990 to conserve species and their wetland and rainforest habitats. Accomplishments include discovering the Madagascar Serpent Eagle and re-discovering the Madagascar Red Owl, along with helping create Madagascar’s largest rainforest reserve on Masoala Peninsula, and pioneering innovative community-based wetland conservation that has become a benchmark and popular model throughout the country.
The Peregrine Fund, best known for successfully recovering the Peregrine Falcon in the United States (removed from the Endangered Species List in 1999), is an international conservation organization that has worked on six continents and in over 55 countries. The Peregrine Fund has lead and coordinated numerous other successful conservation efforts for species such as the California Condor (Arizona), Northern Aplomado Falcon (Texas and New Mexico), Harpy Eagle and Orange-breasted Falcon (Panama and Belize), and the Mauritius Kestrel Mauritius).
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Additional Information:
Madagascar Pochard Photos
Madagascar Pochard Video
Contact Information:
Russell Thorstrom, Madagascar and West Indies Projects Director (208) 362-3716
Rick Watson, International Programs Director (208) 362-3716
J. Peter Jenny, Acting President (208) 362-3716
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