White-winged Wood Ducks are among the most endangered of all waterfowl. The IUCN qualifies this forest duck as Critically Endangered because it has a very small, rapidly declining, severely fragmented population as a result of deforestation, wetland drainage and exploitation.  Researchers in 1992 located only 217 of these ducks, but a 1995 estimate put the minimum birds at 400-450.

While presently highly endangered, White-winged Wood Ducks were reasonably numerous at the turn of the century. Nevertheless, even when more abundant, they were quite scattered, with each pair requiring as much as 250 acres of forest habitat.  Continued deforestation has caused a high degree of fragmentation of its primary habitat, dividing the population into a relative few virgin rainforest swamps. Many of these sub-populations are under imminent threat of extinction, whereas others may be too small to remain viable in the long term. 

A student from the University of Minnesota who interned at Sylvan Heights conducted a population study of the White-winged Wood Duck in Indonesia. Her studies, using radio telemetry implants, have indicated that there are more birds in the wild than were thought to exist. These ducks are difficult to locate in the wild. Each pair requires up to 250 acres of territory, they forage primarily at night and spend most of the day perched in the dense foliage of tall trees. They avoid direct sunlight and are nearly always found in the shade. Consequently, despite their large size, the shy, timid ducks are often overlooked. Only the most diligent and determined researcher will be successful at tagging these animals.

Sylvan Heights owns all of the specimens in the United States, including those on loan to zoos.  Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park maintains a flock of these birds in the Endangered Species aviary, which is one of the few places in the world where the public can view the majestic White-winged Wood Duck.

Mike Lubbock Comments:

"The 2004 tsunami which struck Sumatra, one of the few remaining wild populations, has probably reduced this duck's numbers significantly. Including the ducks in the special breeding area at the avian breeding preserve, Sylvan Heights maintains about 60 birds, which represents about one-third of the total world population. Sylvan Heights receives an annual $500 donation from the IWWA to help buy the food.  But more donations are needed towards the support of the species so we will be able to send specimens back into the wild where they have almost vanished."

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