Pink-Headed Duck
- The pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea) is a large diving duck that was once found in parts of the Gangetic plains of India, Bangladesh and in the riverine swamps of Myanmar but feared extinct since the 1950s.
- Secluded and overgrown still-water pools, marshes and swamps in lowland forest and tall grasslands, particularly areas subject to seasonal inundation and, in winter, also lagoons adjoining large rivers
- Range — Recorded in India, Bangladesh and Myanmar
- Maximum records are from north-east India
- It is shy and secretive
- Males have a deep pink head and neck from which the bird derives its name
Conservation Status
- Critically endangered – IUCN
- CITES Appendix I.
Threats
- Wetland degradation and loss of habitat
- Clearance of forest and conversion of wetlands for agricultural
- Hunting
- Invasive alien species water hyacinth Eichhornia
Source: Indian Express
