Anas bernieri

HABITAT:
Coastal wetlands.

DISTRIBUTION:
Endemic to Madagascar, their present stronghold is the Antsalova region.

SIZE AND APPEARANCE:
Reddish-brown, long-necked, small ducks, weighing less than a pound; they are unique due to their radiant velvety-black speculums, bordered in front by a broad white band.

DIET:
Their little-known diet consists primarily of aquatic insects, other invertebrates and some vegetation-particularly aquatic plant seeds.

MISC:
Formerly known as Bernier's Teal, these rather tame and confiding little ducks do not appear to be overly perturbed by people being nearby.

PROJECT NOTES:
The Madagascar Teal is among the rarest, and until recently, one of the least known of all waterfowl. The species was thought to be extinct until 1969, when stragglers were rediscovered on the Indian Ocean island. A 1995 survey revealed that the total population of the birds was about 450, and is now confined to only a few areas of western Madagascar. The Madagascar Teal is classified as a critically endangered species, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources defines as a species considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Numerous factors have lead to this teal becoming endangered, all directly or indirectly related to an exploding human population on the island of Madagascar. The shallow lakeshore habitat crucial to their survival has been modified by rice paddies, forcing the teals to move to the few remaining areas where rice cultivation is not feasible.

Managed propagation may be the last viable option to insure the survival of the Madagascar Teal. In the mid-1990's, a group of teal were translocated to the Durrell Wildlife Preservation Trust in the United Kingdom to begin a breeding program. In May of 2005, Sylvan Heights received two pairs of Madagascar Teal, which at that time represented the only captive birds in the United States.

In April 2006, Sylvan Heights recorded the first breeding of the Madgascar Teal outside of Europe.

MIKE'S COMMENTS:
The Madagascar Teal is very rare in the wild, and only a few are found in captive breeding programs anywhere in the world. We now have two pairs of the Madagascar Teal at Sylvan Heights and expect to eventually add to these by getting birds from the Durrell Wildlife Preservation Trust through the Akron Zoo, which will diversify the bloodlines we have here. Sylvan Heights is working with the American Zoological Association through the Waterfowl Taxon Advisory Group. We hope these latest efforts will help to establish a stable managed population for this critically endangered bird.

We’re not sure how long these birds will continue to exist in the wild, they are loosing habitat rapidly. Sylvan Heights has made an honorary donation of the teal at the Avian Breeding Center to the government and people of Madagascar. At least in this way, the people can take comfort that their native Madagascar Teal continue to live and breed at our preserve.

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