The elusive Brazilian Merganser not only ranks among the most endangered of all waterfowl, but rarest of all birds as well. Possibly fewer than 250 birds remain, and some conservationists fear that even this estimate may be optimistic.

The river habitat required by the Brazilian Merganser has suffered from staggering deforestation and permanent flooding from dams. The dwindling population of these fish-eating ducks is perhaps most numerous in Brazil's Serra de Canastra National Park, 500 miles northwest of San Paulo. Adding to the birds' plight, a series of forest fires devastated the national park and another area where the merganser was thought to have a stronghold.

Mike Lubbock was invited to a workshop in Belahorizonte, Brazil, in 2000 to help address the dire situation of the Brazilian Merganser. The workshop was organized by Wolf Bartman, of the Dortmund Zoo in Germany. A recovery plan was produced by experts from all three Brazilian Merganser range nations (Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay), plus Europe and the United States. They collated background information on the status and distribution, life history, and threats faced by the Brazilian Merganser and drew up a basic proposal for conservation action.

Editor's Note:

Sightings of the merganser have declined over the years; however, while in Brazil, Mike managed to observe several Brazilian Mergansers in the wild on a nearby river. (See Mike's photo above)

In 2003, Brazilian authorities, researchers and national and international NGOs finalized an Action Plan to save the Brazilian Merganser. The Brazilian Merganser Recovery Team was given "working group status" by the government.

Although not yet approved as part of the Action Plan, discussions have recently focused on the need for a Brazilian-based survival breeding program. In April of 2009, Mike Lubbock was again invited to Brazil at the request of Dr. Moacyr, who operates a significant avian propagation facility. The purpose of the visit was to determine if Dr. Moacyr's site would be an appropriate facility for a possible merganser breeding program. The hope is the birds bred at the facility could ultimately be the foundation for a future wild release project, which would help replenish the declining population.

Mike Lubbock's comments the project:

"New pens had been constructed at Dr. Moacyr's facility, along with an incubator room with new, up-to-date European incubators installed. A brooder room was under construction along with a brand new room with rearing units connected to outside tanks, which were designed especially for diving ducks.

The facility upgrades came about through the efforts of Robert Kooy, who has been overseeing Dr. Moacyr's birds - particularly the waterfowl - for the last two years. Robert has raised waterfowl all his life and currently manages a very extensive family collection in Holland. Additionally, he received six months of advanced aviculture training from me at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Breeding Center in North Carolina. Robert Kooy is considered to be one of the top experts in waterfowl propagation.

No other facility in Brazil is better equipped to be selected as a study and breeding site for this program, especially since Robert Kooy would be overseeing the husbandry of the mergansers.

Despite this species being listed as Critically Endangered, there has been only minimal conservation action taken. We need enough funding to get a survival breeding program underway in Brazil. Global extinction of the Brazilian Merganser appears likely if current trends continue."

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