Survival Breeding Programs

An ark for waterfowl

With wild populations dwindling and habitat disappearing, the survival breeding programs at Sylvan Heights may mean the difference between existence and extinction for these and many other species.

BERNIER’S TEAL
Anas bernieri

Geographic Range
Western Madagascar

Status
Endangered

Threats
Hunting and habitat loss

Wild Status
Estimated at 1500-2500 individuals

Captive conservation efforts
Sylvan Heights is part of an international network of aviculture facilities attempting to establish and maintain a healthy population of Bernier’s Teal in captivity.

RED-BREASTED GOOSE
Branta ruficollis

Geographic Range
Breeds in the Russian arctic, winters in southwestern Europe and Asia

Status
Vulnerable

Threats
Hunting, pesticides, loss of breeding habitat

Wild Status
Populations fluctuate widely. This species was downlisted from Endangered status in 2015 due to an apparent population increase.

Captive conservation efforts
Sylvan Heights maintains several breeding pairs of Red-breasted Geese, and the aviculture staff has developed techniques to improve their breeding success in captivity.

WHITE-HEADED DUCK
Oxyura leucocephala

Geographic Range
Southwestern Europe, Asia, and Russia

Status
Endangered

Threats
Drought, hybridization with the introduced North American Ruddy Duck

Wild Status
8,000 – 13,000 individuals

Captive conservation efforts
Sylvan Heights has an established breeding population of White-headed Ducks that successfully reproduce each year.

WHITE-WINGED DUCK
Asarcornis scutulata

Geographic Range
Southeast Asia

Status
Endangered

Threats
Destruction of wetland and forest habitat for agriculture

Wild Status
Estimated at 350 – 1,500 individuals

Captive conservation efforts
Backed by grants from the IWWA, Sylvan Heights Waterfowl has established a large captive population of White-winged Ducks in the United States. The birds are loaned to zoos and skilled aviculturists in an effort to increase their numbers and offset limited genetic diversty within the captive population.

SCALY-SIDED MERGANSER
Mergus squamatus

Geographic Range
China and southeastern Russia

Status
Endangered

Threats
Poaching and river pollution

Wild status
Fewer than 2,500 individuals

Captive conservation efforts
Very few aviculturists in European and North American facilities have worked with this species historically. Sylvan Heights and the IWWA have recently been working to boost the captive breeding population of Chinese Mergansers in the United States. The offspring produced from successful breedings have been sent to other zoological institutions for breeding, exhibition, and public education.

BAER’S POCHARD
Aythya baeri

Geographic Range
Eastern Asia

Status
Critically Endangered

Threats
Hunting and habitat loss

Wild Status
Unknown, likely fewer than 1,000 birds.

Captive conservation efforts
In 2004, the International Wild Waterfowl Association became aware of the perilous situation the Baer’s Pochard was facing. Not only were wild numbers decreasing, but very few existed in captivity within United States and European avicultural collections. The IWWA imported three pairs of Baer’s Pochard from Europe to Sylvan Heights Waterfowl in 2007, and additional pairs were imported by Louisiana’s Pinola Preserve in 2010. From these imported pairs, there are now more than 150 Baer’s Pochard in United States avicultural facilities. Sylvan Heights and the IWWA will continue to focus on providing a safe haven for Baer’s Pochard should the unthinkable happen in the wild.