Spain recorded 172 breeding females and 1,427 chicks in 2025, a marked improvement from the 20 breeding pairs recorded in the country in 2009.
asserted
Spain → record → 2009
The figures follow years of conservation work focused on wetland restoration, captive breeding and cooperation with local stakeholders.
asserted
figures → follow → stakeholders
LIFE Cerceta Pardilla, co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE programme and Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge through its Directorate-General for Water, restored more than 3,600 hectares of wetlands and released 3,769 captive-bred ducks in Spain, Italy and Portugal.
asserted
Pardilla → co → Spain
The project’s final results, published in March 2026, document the scale of the work.
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results → publish → work
However, reintroductions complicate efforts to determine how much of the increase reflects natural population growth.
asserted
much → complicate → growth
The species remains at risk from habitat degradation, water shortages and other pressures on wetlands.
asserted
species → remain → wetlands
How Spain’s marbled duck breeding numbers changed between 2009 and 2025
The marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), also known as the marbled teal, is a wetland bird found across parts of the Mediterranean region, North Africa and Asia.
asserted
duck → change → region
In Spain, its breeding population declined sharply, reaching just 20 pairs in 2009.
asserted
population → decline → 2009
Conservation efforts have since focused on protecting the wetlands the species needs to breed and feed.
asserted
species → focus → wetlands
Spain recorded 130 females with broods and 806 chicks in 2024.
asserted
Spain → record → 2024
In 2025, the national working group recorded 172 breeding females and 1,427 chicks, increases of approximately 32% and 77%, respectively.
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group → record → %
The ministry’s monitoring counts females observed with chicks, allowing the 2024 and 2025 breeding figures to be compared.
asserted
figures → count → chicks
The 2024 breeding season also brought important milestones at individual sites.
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season → bring → sites
At Moreras Lagoon in Murcia, breeding was recorded for the first time since 2008, according to Spain’s environment ministry.
uncertain
breeding → record → ministry
The project also reported breeding at the Tancat de la Pipa bird reserve in Valencia.
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project → report → Valencia
In Málaga, 13 pairs were detected at the Río Guadalhorce natural area, where breeding had not been recorded since 2004.
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breeding → detect → 2004
Murcia recorded five breeding females and 42 chicks in 2025, according to the national monitoring figures.
uncertain
Murcia → record → figures
LIFE Cerceta Pardilla restored more than 3,600 hectares of wetlands
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Pardilla → restore → wetlands
Habitat restoration was central to LIFE Cerceta Pardilla, which began in January 2021 and concluded in 2026.
asserted
which → begin → 2026
-financed by the EU LIFE programme and Spain’s Directorate-General for Water, the project combined restoration work with species monitoring, captive breeding and agreements with local stakeholders.
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project → combine → stakeholders
Its final results report more than 3,600 hectares of wetlands restored.
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results → report → wetlands
In 2024, the project acquired the 90-hectare La Raja estate within El Hondo Natural Park in Alicante province.
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project → acquire → province
Together, the La Raja and El Espigar estates total 141 hectares, according to Spain’s environment ministry.
uncertain
estates → total → ministry
Work at these sites included improvements to water management and measures to provide suitable habitat for breeding birds.
asserted
Work → include → birds
Elsewhere, restoration work in the Brazo del Este Natural Area in Seville covered 24 hectares and, together with two rehabilitated meanders of a former branch of the Guadalquivir River, created 50 hectares in total.
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work → cover → total
In Murcia, interventions at Moreras Lagoon and Rambla included revegetation, reedbed management and measures to improve wetland conditions.
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interventions → include → conditions
El Hondo is part of Natura 2000, the European Union’s network of protected areas for important habitats and species.
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Hondo → protect → habitats
The project’s restoration work also supported the objectives of EU legislation covering birds, water and habitats.
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work → support → birds
Captive-bred releases and land stewardship agreements supported the conservation effort
The project’s final results record the release of 3,769 captive-bred marbled ducks in Spain, Italy and Portugal, three times the original target.
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results → breed → Spain
It also established 15 land stewardship agreements involving a range of stakeholders, including ranchers, rice growers, non-profit organisations and public administrations.
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It → establish → ranchers
These voluntary arrangements support cooperation in the management and protection of natural habitats.
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arrangements → support → habitats
Researchers tracked 164 birds fitted with GPS/GSM transmitters to investigate movement patterns, survival and habitat use.
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Researchers → track → patterns
The project identified more than 60 wetlands used by the species and developed measures to address threats including accidental hunting, poaching and disease outbreaks associated with botulism and cyanobacteria.
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project → identify → botulism
Captive breeding and reintroductions have helped reinforce the Spanish population, but they complicate efforts to determine how much of the increase reflects natural population growth.
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much → help → growth
BirdLife International’s marbled duck factsheet notes that reintroductions make population trends in the Iberian Peninsula difficult to interpret.
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trends → note → Peninsula
Citing a 2022 estimate, the factsheet states that potentially 95% of the Iberian breeding population consisted of released birds.
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% → cite → birds
This estimate should not be assumed to represent the population in 2025.
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estimate → assume → 2025
Why the marbled duck remains at risk
The marbled duck is classified as Near Threatened on the global IUCN Red List, with a declining population trend suspected across its range.
asserted
trend → remain → range
Habitat loss and degradation, disturbance, climate change and hunting in parts of its range remain concerns.
asserted
loss → remain → range
Spain classifies the species as Critically Endangered.
asserted
Spain → classify → species
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
