For the first time in five years, a nest of the endangered white-winged duck has been discovered in the Northern Plains of Cambodia.
WCS Newsroom
July 10, 2017
For the first time in five years, a nest of the endangered white-winged duck has been discovered in the Northern Plains of Cambodia. People from the local community discovered the nest and reported it to conservationists from the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The nest, which contained seven eggs, was located inside a Koki tree hollow in Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary (KPWS) near Kulen District, Preah Vihear Province.
The discovery was part of an innovative program developed by WCS, in conjunction with MoE, in which local people are compensated to protect and to monitor endangered birds instead of harvest them.
The white-winged duck (Asarcornis scutulata) is categorized on IUCN’s Red List as endangered. The species’ global population is in decline due to habitat loss, disturbance along key stretches of riverine habitat and illegal poaching, and is estimated to be between 250-1,000 individuals. Little is currently known about the numbers present in Cambodia.
“We saw a white-winged duck on the tree while walking to the rice field,” said Mr. In Long, 36, who found the nest. “We reported it to the WCS team because we know it is [an] endangered bird. They came to check the nest and hired three of us to guard it.”
Read the full article at the WCS Newsroom.
