Taxon name
Tadorna tadorna
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Tadorna tadorna
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Birds
Species authority
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Qualifying criteria (if given)
D1
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
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.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
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.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
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).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
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).
Threats and conservation measures listed
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.
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.
Publication
Burfield, I.J., Westrip, J., Sheldon, R.D., Hermes, C., Wheatley, H., Smith, D., Harding, K.A. Allen, D.J. and Alshamsi, O. 2021. UAE National Red List of Birds. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
