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Writer's pictureJennifer J

The World's Rarest Bird: The Madagascar Pochard


The Madagascar Pochard is one of the rarest birds and animals in the world today. There is only a very small population of Madagascan Pochards in the world today.


What Is The Conservation Status Of These Birds?


The Madagascan Pochard is sadly critically endangered.


When a species is critically endangered, it means that they are one step away from becoming extinct. Therefore, Madagascan Pochards are very vulnerable to extinction today.


What Is Their Population Trend?


Although Madagascan Pochards are very vulnerable to extinction and currently critically endangered, the population trend for Madagascan Pochards is stable.


With their population being stable, it means that the population of the Madagascan Pochard is not declining, but it also means that their population is not increasing either.


What Is The Population Of Madagascan Pochards?


These birds sadly have a very low population today. The last time that they were studied by the IUCN, it was estimated that the population of Madagascan Pochards was between 20 to 49 birds. It's also thought that there are now only 25 Madagascan Pochards left in the wild today, which makes Madagascan Pochards the world's rarest bird species.


What Are The Threats To Madagascan Pochards?


There are several threats facing Madagascan Pochards today. Some of the threats that Madagascan Pochards face today include:


1) Habitat destruction


Habitat destruction of their wetland home is one of the reasons that Madagascan Pochards are threatened with extinction today. One of the major causes of the destruction of their wetland habitats is because of dam building.


2) Climate change


Climate change is another serious threat to Madagascan Pochards. Climate change is changing the wetland habitats of the Madagascan Pochard. The IUCN believes that in the future climate change could have an even greater detrimental impact on these birds.


What Is The Habitat Of Madagascan Pochards?


Madagascan Pochards are only found in one type of habitat: inland wetlands.


What Is The Scientific Name For Madagascan Pochards?


The scientific name for Madagascan Pochards is: Aythya innotata.


Interesting Facts About Madagascan Pochards


Scotland became a safe haven for Madagascan Pochards which has helped save these critically endangered birds from extinction.


Madagascan Pochards were thought to be extinct in 2006, as by that point the last time they were seen in the wild was in 1991. But these birds were found again in 2016, renewing hopes for the future of the world's rarest bird species.


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