This white-eyed pochard is somewhat of a mystery as regards
its status. It breeds primarily in south-west Asia, but also Europe and North Africa. However the distribution
fluctuates from year to year as water levels differ, and whilst it was listed as vulnerable in Europe, this has
been found to no longer be the case. It appears to be in decline but is still relatively common overall.
It is migratory, wintering to the south of its breeding range, vagrancy is common in Europe at least, and
records in the UK illustrate its status. From there being several birds annually, it dwindled to being a real
rarity, but the last few years have seen a bit of an upsurge again.
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