TWSG News No. 15, December 2006 ABOUT THE GROUP The Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group (formerly Threatened Waterfowl Research Group) was established in October 1990 and is coordinated from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) at Slimbridge, UK, as part of the IUCN-SSC/Wetlands International Waterbird Network. The TWSG and its bulletin aim to identify Anatidae taxa that are threatened with extinction, to gather and exchange information on these taxa, and to promote their conservation. Membership is worldwide and includes 923 organisations, groups and individuals who are active or interested in threatened waterfowl research and conservation. Addresses of TWSG members, further information about the TWSG, this bulletin, and/or membership can be obtained from Baz Hughes at the address below. TWSG NEWS Chair Regional Chair for North America Dr. Baz Hughes Dr. Tom Rothe Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game The bulletin Slimbridge 333 Raspberry Road of the Glos. GL2 7BT, UK Anchorage Tel: +44 1453 891 172 Alaska 99518-1599, USA Fax: +44 1453 890 827 Tel: +1 907 267 2206 THREATENED WATERFOWL SPECIALIST GROUP [email protected] Fax: +1 907 267 2433 [email protected] Regional Chair for Africa, Regional Assistant Chair for Eurasia, Middle-East Oceania Dr. Andy Green Dr. Murray Williams Estación Biológica de Doñana School of Biological Sciences Avenida María Luisa s/n Victoria University of Wellington Pabellón del Perú P.O Box 600 41013 Sevilla, Spain Wellington, New Zealand Tel: +34 5 4232340 Tel: +64 4 463 7432 Fax: +34 5 4621125 Fax: +64 4 463 5331 [email protected] [email protected] TWSG-Forum: list-server of the Threatened Waterfowl Specialist Group The TWSG-Forum list-server, maintained by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust from Slimbridge, UK, provides a vehicle for the on-line exchange of information about globally threatened or near threatened Anseriformes (ducks, geese, swans and screamers). To subscribe, e-mail [email protected] with "subscribe twsg-forum" (without quotes) in the body of your e-mail message. To unsubscribe, simply replace the word “subscribe” with “unsubscribe”. To circulate a message to the Forum, send it to: [email protected] . When submitting information please note that we may include such items in future issues of TWSG News. No. 15 December 2006 TWSG web site: http://www.wwt.org.uk/threatsp/twsg/ Opinions expressed in articles in this bulletin are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent those of the TWSG, WWT, Wetlands International or IUCN-SSC. This issue of TWSG News was edited by Baz Hughes, Glyn Young, Colette Hall and Peter Cranswick. Design and layout by Colette Hall. Illustrations are by Joe Blossom, Mark Hulme, Paul Johnsgard, Libby Millington and Peter Scott. TWSG News No. 15, December 2006 TWSG News No. 15, December 2006 EDITORIAL THREATENED WATERFOWL SPECIES AND SUB-SPECIES Over the last ten years, there has been great progress in conserving threatened waterfowl worldwide: there are now Recovery Plans for most threatened waterfowl in North America, In the following list of globally threatened and near threatened Anseriformes species and sub- Europe, and Australasia, and there have been notable successes, such as on Hawaii where species, species categorisations follow the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Nene numbers have increased from 885 in 1998 to over 1,200 birds in 2003. However, action 2006) whilst sub-species were categorised during the compilation of the IUCN-SSC is still focused in the affluent western world where conservation funding is relatively easy to Anseriformes Action Plan (TWSG in prep.). The TWSG would welcome comment on this list of come by, whilst threatened species in Eastern Europe, Asia and South America, where help is threatened Anseriformes, especially notification of new data which may lead to re- most needed, continue to dwindle. Species breeding in Russia and wintering in China have categorisation of any taxa. been particularly badly affected, probably by habitat loss and degradation, disturbance and over-hunting on the staging and wintering grounds. Even previously common species, such as Falcated Duck, are now red-listed. So what can the TWSG do to help save the world’s threatened waterfowl? SPECIES Involve local people. The involvement of local communities, and their appreciation of the economic, functional and aesthetic value of wetlands and their dependent species, is crucial to COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME any long-term wetland conservation project. Despite this, community involvement initiatives are often only paid lip-service in species conservation. We therefore need to build community involvement initiatives into our threatened species programmes. EXTINCT SINCE A.D. 1600 Target resources. The threatened waterfowl and wetlands most in need of our help are found New Zealand Swan Cygnus sumnerensis in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. We will therefore target our resources in Mauritian Shelduck Alopochen mauritania these areas and convince others in the developed world to do the same. Réunion Shelduck Mascarenachen kervazoi Chatham Island Shelduck Pachyanas chathamica Help build expertise. Most of our members working on threatened species programmes have Mauritian Duck Anas theodori small teams of highly committed staff. We need to help them develop their skills, expertise and Amsterdam Island Duck Anas marecula capacity through capacity-building initiatives to pass on expertise in waterbird conservation Labrador Duck Camptorhynchus labradorius (particularly in research, monitoring, catching and ringing, and disease surveillance). Auckland Islands Merganser Mergus australis Find threatened species champions. Many of the most successful species conservation CRITICALLY ENDANGERED programmes are organised, and to a large extent funded, by non-government organisations Crested Shelduck Tadorna cristata who have the commitment, motivation and resources to produce and implement species action Campbell Island Teal Anas nesiotis plans. The TWSG is working with the secretariat of the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement Laysan Duck Anas laysanensis to establish working groups to implement action plans which we have produced for the Pink-headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea Ferruginous Duck and White-headed Duck. Our next challenge is to ensure champions are in Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata place for all threatened waterfowl. Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus Focus on action on the ground. Obviously writing action plans is just the first step in the ENDANGERED conservation process – the key to success is ensuring follow-up action on the ground. A White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala dedicated project officer for each species is a must – and can be especially successful if they Swan Goose Anser cygnoides become so committed that they embark on a personal crusade to save a species. White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata Blue Duck Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos Ensure long-term funding and support. Unless large-scale funding can be secured, it is often Hawaiian Duck Anas wyvilliana best to focus on implementing a small number of the most important conservation projects for Meller's Duck Anas melleri a species, but ensuring they continue in the long term. Only too often, a three-year grant Madagascar Teal Anas bernieri comes to and end and a conservation programme folds. The TWSG needs to commit itself to Brown Teal Anas chlorotis ensuring long-term fund-raising and support for threatened waterfowl. Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus Baz Hughes 1 2 TWSG News No. 15, December 2006 TWSG News No. 15, December 2006 SPECIES SUB-SPECIES COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME VULNERABLE ENDANGERED West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea Madagascar White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus insularis Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus New Zealand Grey Duck Anas superciliosa superciliosa Hawaiian Goose Branta sandvicensis Tropical Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera tropica Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis Andaman Teal Anas gibberifrons albogularis Salvadori's Teal Salvadorina waigiuensis Galapagos Pintail Anas bahamensis galapagensis Eaton's Pintail Anas eatoni Crozet Islands Pintail Anas eatoni drygalskii Philippine Duck Anas luzonica Colombian Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis andina Auckland Island Teal Anas aucklandica Baikal Teal Anas formosa VULNERABLE Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris Recherche Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae grisea Baer's Pochard Aythya baeri Middendorf's Bean Goose Anser fabalis middendorffi Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri Thick-billed Bean Goose Anser fabalis serrirostris Tule Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons gambeli LOW RISK (NEAR THREATENED) Dusky Canada Goose Branta canadensis occidentalis Northern Screamer Chauna chavaria Peruvian Torrent Duck Merganetta armata leucogenis Emperor Goose Anser canagica Colombian Torrent Duck Merganetta armata colombiana Blue-winged Goose Cyanochen cyanopterus Australian Cotton Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus albipennis Orinoco Goose Neochen jubata Merida Teal Anas andium altipetens Chubut Steamer-duck Tachyeres leucocephalus Kerguelen Pintail Anas eatoni eatoni Falcated Duck Anas falcata Spectacled Duck Anas specularis LOW RISK (NEAR THREATENED) Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca American Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotus sylvatica Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis Florida Duck Anas fulvigula fulvigula Australian Black Duck Anas superciliosa rogersi SUB-SPECIES