Madagascar’s wildfowl (Anatidae) in the new millennium

Abstract

Ten wildfowl taxa are resident in Madagascar including four endemics: Madagascar
White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus insularis, Madagascar Teal Anas bernieri,
Meller’s Duck A. melleri and Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata. These endemic duck
taxa were amongst the last wildfowl forms to be described in Africa and are
undoubtedly currently the rarest in this region. The history of our knowledge of
these birds follows four easily definable stages: discovery, understanding, protection
and the future. The new millennium has started with a much more detailed
understanding of the four ducks’ ecology than ever before, the protection of several
key sites and the re-discovery in 2006 of the Madagascar Pochard. The next few
years will tell if the ducks have a more secure future and, while not yet safe,
Madagascar’s ducks are perhaps now among the better known of Africa’s endemic
wildfowl.