Behaviour This species is subject to upredictable local nomadic movements⁴ (usually of less than 500 km) in relation to variations in water and food availability³. Breeding commences at the start of the local rainy season¹ with the species nesting individually^{6, 7} or in loose colonies or small groups¹. Adults undergo a post-breeding flightless moult period lasting for 18-25 days during which they are particularly vulnerable and seek the cover of densely vegetated wetlands². When not breeding the species is gregarious and may forage in flocks of up to several thousands of individuals². The species mainly forages at night¹ (although it may also feed diurnally during the winter)³. Habitat The species inhabits a wide variety of freshwater wetlands¹ including lakes, swamps², marshes, large rivers, river deltas, flood-plains³, reservoirs^{2, 3}, sewage farms (Africa)⁴ and estuaries², and is commonly encountered feeding in rice fields². It shows a preference for wetlands in open country¹ (although it is likely to inhabit fresh or brackish waters in more forested areas in South America)⁴ with mud or sandbars for roosting and rich shoreline⁴, emergent and surface vegetation⁵. Adults require densely vegetated permanent wetlands for cover during their flightless post-breeding moult period^{2, 7}, although breeding birds prefer more ephemeral wetlands⁷. Diet Its diet consists of grasses (e.g. Echinochloa spp.), aquatic seeds e.g. of water-lilies Nyphaea and Nymphoides spp., rice¹, pondweeds (e.g. Potamogeton spp.)⁷ and tubers (especially in the dry season)², as well as aquatic invertebrates such as molluscs, crustaceans and insects¹, the consumption of which is highest during the rains². Breeding site The nest is a depression⁴ or low construction of vegetation² placed over or at varying distances from water, usually in stands of dense vegetation (e.g. long grass, sedge or rice)² on dry ground or in reedbeds^{1, 4}, occasionally also in open crevices in trees (South America)^{2, 3}. The species may nest in solitary pairs^{6, 7} with nests placed more then 75 m apart (Africa)^{5, 7}, although it may also nest in loose colonies or small groups¹.

TCTATACCTCATCTTCGGAGCATGAGCAGGAATAATCGGCACCGCACTTAGCTTGCTAATCCGTGCAGAACTGGGACAACCTGGAACTCTTCTAGGGGACGATCAAATCTACAACGTAATCGTCACGGCCCACGCTTTCGTAATAATCTTCTTCATAGTCATGCCCATCATAATTGGAGGCTTCGGAAACTGATTAGTTCCCCTGATAATCGGTGCCCCCGACATGGCATTTCCCCGAATAAACAACATAAGCTTCTGACTCCTACCACCATCATTCCTCCTTCTCCTGGCCTCATCCACTGTAGAAGCCGGTGCCGGCACAGGATGAACCGTATACCCACCCCTAGCAGGAAATCTAGCCCACGCTGGAGCATCAGTGGACCTAGCCATTTTCTCCCTCCATCTAGCTGGTATTTCCTCTATCCTAGGGGCCATTAACTTCATTACCACAGCCGTCAACATAAAACCACCTGCACTATCACAGTACCAAACCCCCCTATTCGTGTGGTCCGTCCTAATCACTGCCATCCTACTCCTCCTATCACTACCCGTACTTGCTGCCGGCATCACAATACTGCTAACAGACCGAAACCTAAATACTACATTCTTTGACCCAGCAGGAGGAGGAGACCCAATCCTGTACCAACACCTGTTCTGATTTTTCGGACATCCAGAGGTATACATCCTAATTTTA
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Red List Category

Red List Criteria

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Total regarded as a minimum by Wetlands International (2006).

The species is susceptible to avian botulism¹¹ and avian influenza¹² so may be threatened by future outbreaks of these diseases. Utilisation The species is hunted for local consumption and trade in Malawi⁸ and is hunted in Botswana¹⁰. It is also hunted and traded at traditional medicine markets in Nigeria⁹.