Tadorna tadorna | UAE National Red List of Birds

Taxa
Tadorna tadorna | (Linnaeus, 1758)
Publication
UAE National Red List of Birds
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Birds
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species is a localised winter visitor, occurring in small numbers in coastal zones of the UAE (Richardson 1990, Pedersen et al. 2017). It winters in the country between October and mid-April, with peak occurrences in January to early March. The highest number recorded in the UAE were 150 individuals in December 2008 at Al Wathba Wetland Reserve near Abu Dhabi City (Pedersen et al. 2017). Occasional passage migrants occur in the UAE mainly in April/May (Richardson 1990). Individuals recorded during summer months likely refer to escaped or released birds (Pedersen et al. 2017).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species prefers sandy or muddy coasts, where its is found in brackish or freshwater lakes and marshes, as well as along tidal creeks (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It also occurs near water treatment plants or ponds further inland (Richardson 1990). There is no information available about its diet in the UAE. Elsewhere, it feeds predominantly on salt-water molluscs as well as other aquatic invertebrates (e.g. insects, crustaceans and worms), small fish, fish spawn and plant material (e.g. algae, seeds and agricultural grain) (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Kear 2005). Individuals occurring in the UAE are migratory and breed mainly in southern central Asia. Especially during the non-breeding season, the species is gregarious and occurs in small groups (Richardson 1990, Kear 2005).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Vulnerable
Assessment status abreviation
VU
Assessment status criteria
D1
Assessment rationale/justification
This species has a small non-breeding population in the UAE, which qualifies it for listing as Endangered. The population is increasing, rather than decreasing, within the UAE, and conditions outside of the UAE are considered unlikely to deteriorate, hence there is a potentially very high rescue effect from individuals outside of the region. Therefore, it is tentatively adjusted by one category to Vulnerable under criterion D1, as it is currently dependent on a small number of key sites.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
While some of the following threats are taken from BirdLife International (2015) or are not taking place within the UAE, they are potentially impacting the population that overwinters in UAE while they are outside of the country. In parts of Europe, the species is threatened by habitat loss as a result of tidal barrage schemes (Kear 2005, Burton 2006), but changes in coastal land-use are also taking place in UAE which may be impacting the species. It also;is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus (Melville and Shortridge 2006). Hunting within its range outside of the UAE could also pose a threat (e.g Iran; Balmaki and Barati 2006). Additionally, oil pollution is a potential threat to wetland ecosystems in UAE.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
In 1996 the species may have warranted listing as Critically Endangered based on small numbers, but it would have been adjusted by one category to Endangered, given the global LC assessment. This change is likely as a result of increases in artificial water sources.
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Tadorna tadorna Animalia Chordata Aves Anseriformes Anatidae Tadorna