SPECIES SPOTLIGHT – MADAGASCAR POCHARD

The Madagascar pochard was once believed to be lost forever. Now the return of this rare duck gives hope for wetland restoration across Madagascar.

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In 2004, at a British Ornithologists’ Union symposium at the Linnean Society of London, Dr Glyn Young suggested that the Madagascar pochard be added to the growing list of birds to have become extinct in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean. At the time, very little was known about the pochards, and their decline in the wild had gone largely unnoticed.

Glyn Young is the Head of Durrell’s Bird Department, whose work with the Madagascar pochard has spanned more than 30 years. “I first took an interest in the pochards when I realised how little was known about Madagascar’s wildlife, particularly its four endemic ducks. I hope I’ve done something to change that!”

THE SILENT EXTINCTION Since the Madagascar pochard was described to science in the late 1800s, the species was mainly confined to Lake Alaotra, Madagascar’s largest lake. Expeditions to the lake in the late 1920s described the pochards as being a relatively common species in the area. However, by 1960 they had all but vanished. “Very little was known about the pochards at that time,” says Glyn. “Although they seemed to be mainly present at Lake Alaotra during those early expeditions, evidence suggests they may have been more widespread across the central plateau of Madagascar. No one fully knows why they disappeared, but habitat loss and degradation following human occupation in Madagascar was a likely cause. At Lake Alaotra, the pochards seemed to decline throughout the 1940s and 1950s. At this time many exotic species of fish were introduced to lakes across Madagascar, lakes already being drained for agriculture, particularly for rice fields.”

Between 1970 and 1990, several expeditions were mounted to Lake Alaotra, some with the specific aim of looking for the pochard, but no individuals were found. Eventually, a single adult male was captured alive by hunters in 1991.

“Initially, we were hopeful that more individuals would be found in the area,” says Glyn. “We put out the news that we were looking for the pochard and even showed it to other active fowlers and fishermen in the area. No one was familiar with the species. We could not locate where the male had come from and found no hope of any more hidden somewhere.”

The male duck sadly died the following year, extinguishing hopes that populations of the species could one day be recovered. Further expeditions to find the pochards proved unsuccessful. Eventually, the team admitted defeat, believing that this single pochard may well have been the last remaining member of its species.

REDISCOVERY 15 years later, the seemingly impossible happened. In November 2006, Lily-Arison René de Roland, a biologist working for The Peregrine Fund (TPF), was with a team surveying birds of prey at Lake Matsaborimena in a remote region in northern Madagascar. As he combed his way through the dense vegetation surrounding the lake, he spotted something he never expected to see — a small group of Madagascar pochards!

Instantly recognising the enormity of his find, Lily-Arison and his team began photographing the birds to use as proof of their discovery. They then hiked for two days to reach the nearest town that had an internet connection to share the exciting news. One of the first people Lily-Arison contacted was Glyn. “When I first heard the news, I was initially sceptical as we’d had many false leads before. But from the photos, we confirmed it was indeed the Madagascar pochard. Almost immediately, I arranged to fly out to see the birds for myself. It was all very exciting. Our first priority was to ensure the ducks were fully protected. The Peregrine Fund based a full-time team at the lake, which included members of the local community, to ensure they were protected from human interference. They also set about developing legal protection for the area under Madagascar’s national protected areas system.”

However, as the team started to study the birds, a new problem came to light. “At least 63 ducklings hatched in the breeding season of 2008,” says Glyn. “But none survived. With such a low reproduction rate, we knew the pochards were in danger, and we knew we had to take action.”

MADAGASCAR POCHARD

SCIENTIFIC NAME Aythya innotata DISTRIBUTION Found only in Madagascar HABITAT Freshwater lakes, pools and swamps WINGSPAN Approximately 165cm DIET Insects FACT They feed mainly by diving in shallow waters. Adults usually dive for 1–2 minutes at a time.

LAC SOFIA

Three years after the Madagascar pochard was rediscovered, a rescue mission was carried out by Durrell, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), TPF and the Malagasy Government. It was decided that they would collect eggs from wild nests and begin a captive breeding programme for the species.

Access to the lake was along 40km of dirt track. Not ideal for transporting fragile eggs! As ducklings are more robust than eggs, the team decided to hatch the chicks in tents next to the lake using battery-operated incubators. Once hatched, they then travelled the 8-hour drive to Antsohihy. Here, 24 ducklings were raised in a hotel room, which acted as a temporary rearing and holding facility. A new captive breeding centre was eventually opened by Lee Durrell and Government authorities in 2011. The breeding programme’s very first pochard duckling hatched later that year.

A NEW HOME As the captive population of pochards began to steadily increase, the team started searching for an ideal release site for the birds. Studies into why they had become so rare revealed that the large-scale degradation of Madagascar’s wetlands and lack of invertebrate food was the leading cause. “Durrell and WWT surveyed a lot of wetlands across Madagascar to look for somewhere that might support a population of pochards,” says Glyn. “We looked at the food available to the ducks and the threats that they might face in each region. Not one of the wetlands we surveyed was completely ideal. However, one wetland, Lake Sofia, had many attributes similar to Alaotra. Although much smaller, Lake Sofia is less impacted by people living around the lake and marsh. We developed a good relationship with people living around the lake. This cooperation is key to the future of the project.”

By 2018, the team were ready for the next stage of the project, releasing pochards onto Lake Sofia. 21 ducklings were transported 200km along dirt roads to the lake. Once there, they spent time in a lakeside aviary before moving to the world’s first floating aviaries, created using cages from Scottish salmon farms. These aviaries were trialled at WWT Slimbridge in the UK before being transported to Madagascar ready to house the world’s rarest duck. The pochards spent a week in the safety of the aviaries so they could become accustomed to their new surroundings. Eventually, the door was opened and they were free to explore their new home. The Madagascar pochard had been officially reintroduced to Lake Sofia!

Commenting on this crucial landmark for the project, Glyn says, “The idea that we could be releasing pochards into the wild only 12 years after rediscovery is incredible. It pays remarkable testament to the dreams and hard work of many people from Madagascar, Jersey and the UK, who have worked tirelessly to see this remarkable bird get a chance of survival in a changing world.”

Towards the end of 2019, just one year after the release of the ducks on Lake Sofia, another key milestone for the project was reached well ahead of schedule — they had ducklings!

“This is yet another remarkable step in this project to save and restore the Madagascar pochard,” says Glyn. “When we started in 1989 and found no hope for the species’ survival until 2006, things looked very bleak. But we never gave up and I am so proud on behalf of our partnership and for all of our Malagasy colleagues that this pivotal milestone offers hope that the pochard may one day be widespread across Madagascar’s wetlands.”

LOOKING AHEAD The return of the Madagascar pochard to Lake Sofia is an exciting milestone for the project. Still, Glyn says it is just one step in a long-term plan to restore Madagascar’s wetlands.

“We plan to release further ducks at Lake Sofia and watch them very closely to see how they get on and how they adapt to their new world. By the start of 2020, a total of 160 captive‐-bred pochards had hatched, which is a huge achievement for the breeding programme. We will also look for wetlands to work on and help the pochards return to them. Who knows, one day we may see them back at Lake Alaotra once again.”

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Driving to Marataolana, Lake Sofia release site, ducklings in pre-release pool, preparing to release the ducklings, approaching a floating aviary.