Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Status: Category III (VU). Vulnerable species.
Importance: The only representative of the polytypic genus in Turkmenistan. Its preservation is crucial for the gene pool.
Distribution: From the Eastern Caspian Sea to the Amudarya River (rivers, lakes, reservoirs). Outside Turkmenistan — Mediterranean, Transcaucasia, Caspian Sea region, Kazakhstan, and southern Western Siberia. Winters in the Eastern Mediterranean, southern Western and Central Asia.
Habitat: Sea coasts, inland water bodies.
Population and trends: In the 1930s, winter flocks in the South-Eastern Caspian reached 400-500 birds. In some years, numbers reached 47,000. Declined in the late 20th century. From 1975 to 1994, about 200 individuals wintered in Turkmenbashi Bay. Numbers increased since 1998, reaching 17,850 in January 2019.
Main threats: Illegal hunting and habitat degradation.
Biology: Migratory and wintering species. Spring migration in late February–March; autumn migration late September–November. Breeds in June–July. Nest built in reed beds; lays 5-7 eggs. Secretive bird feeding on plants and small aquatic animals (polychaetes, chironomid larvae, small crustaceans, mollusks, fish).
Conservation: Listed in IUCN Red List (EN), Red Data Book of Turkmenistan since 1985. Protected in Hazar, Amudarya, Gaplangyr Nature Reserves, Kelif and Sarygamysh sanctuaries; included in Turkmenistan’s Important Bird Areas (IBA). Listed in CITES Appendix II, Bonn Convention Appendices I & II, AEWA Agreement.
Conservation recommendations: Strengthen protection and raise public awareness. Regular censuses needed at migration and wintering sites.