Critically Endangered Species: The Brazilian Merganser

Looking like a bird you might see if you popped down to the local park or river, the Brazilian Merganser is a bird that you will probably never have fed bread to before. This is because it is unfortunately one of the six most threatened waterfowl in the world, with an estimated number of around 250 or less left in the wild, with none in captivity.

Originally located entirely within central-south Brazil and neighbouring Paraguay and Argentina, the Brazilian Merganser has declined to the point where all confirmed populations are known to be in Brazil, with speculation suggesting that there may be a few individuals left in Argentina and in Paraguay, although this is seen as unlikely.

They prefer habitats that are rocky and mountainous where they can find clear and clean water with river rapids. Once they have found a territory, they are loathe to be moved which provides issues when the habitat becomes destroyed as the birds will continue to persist in the area, even when food sources are destroyed and the river stops providing prey species. This is seen as the key risk to the Merganser as their stubbornness and tendency to be steadfast means that environment destruction has a much greater effect on the species.

Unfortunately, Brazil is well known for the amount of habitat destruction that has affected the Merganser in such a large capacity. Soil erosion caused by deforestation or development work leads to river silting, which causes a blanket layer of silt to cover and kill river plants and wildlife, stifling the food sources that the Merganser relies upon. Hydroelectricity plants are a recent development that has caused an unknown amount of damage by transforming rivers and creeks into lake systems.

Whilst trophy hunting originally provided the cause for the species decline it has slowly become other, more indirect effects that have contributed the most towards the loss of the Brazilian Merganser. As there are none kept in captivity and a very restricted area in which these birds can live, the chance that the Merganser will return is very slim. We must pay more attention to the signs of species decline in order to prevent any other species reaching this level of decline, that may be irreversible.