Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae
Status. Category III (VU). Vulnerable species.
Importance of the taxon for gene pool preservation. The species’ populations in Turkmenistan are important for preserving the country’s gene pool and the conservation of the species as a whole.
Distribution. Valleys of large rivers, the Caspian Sea. Lakes Sarygamysh, Zengibaba, Uzynshor, Atabaishor, "Altyn Asyr" . Beyond Turkmenistan — Southwest Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, North Africa. The main part of the population nests in Asia.
Habitat. Various types of water bodies; lakes and reservoirs with stands and thickets of reeds.
Number and trends of change. In the Turkmen Caspian region, data from 2008–2010 show about 728 individuals [4]. Until the late 1960s in Central Asia, this species was one of the most numerous [6], but it was not numerous in Turkmenistan [7–8]. At the beginning of this century, about 300 individuals were recorded in January in Kelif Uzboi [5]. Since 2006, the number of wintering pochards has decreased tenfold. Between 2011 and 2021, 1 to 23 birds were recorded annually in northern Turkmenistan water bodies . On discharge water traps near Seydi city in March 2014 — 20, and in 2021 — 30 and 33 specimens were recorded . In January 2021, 4 specimens were recorded on flood waters west of Mollakurban in Central Karakums .
Biological peculiarities. Migratory, nesting, and partly wintering bird. Spring migration is from late February to mid-April; autumn migration in September–October. Nests in reed thickets, in pairs or small groups. Lays 7–15 eggs. Chicks from different nests gather into flocks after leaving the nest and fly by late July–early August. Feeds on aquatic plants (algae and seeds) and invertebrates (insects, mollusks) .
Breeding. Not studied.
Conservation actions applied. Listed in the IUCN Red List . Included in Turkmenistan’s Red Data Book since 2011. Protected in Hazar and Amudarya State Nature Reserves, Kelif and Sarygamysh Sanctuaries, included in Turkmenistan’s Important Bird Areas (IBA) network  Included in Annexes I and II of the Bonn Convention (CMS) and the AEWA Agreement.
Conservation actions proposed. Strengthen anti-poaching measures and public awareness.
Research proposals. Conduct regular censuses during migration, possible nesting, and wintering sites.