The natural breeding range of Swan Goose includes Mongolia, north China, Korean Peninsula and south east of Russia.  In winters, they normally migrate to parts with harmer as compared to their own natural breeding range. They are about 81 to 94 cm in average length and their average weight ranges in 6 to 8 pounds.  Its body is normally long with a long neck, brown cap. Upper body parts are brown and legs are orange in color.  Outside the breeding places, they form small flocks. A female can lay up to 50 to 60 eggs in one breeding season and, in rare cases, can lay up to 100 eggs during the breeding season, only when kept as poultry.

Taking a look at the potential threats that Swan Goose is facing are hunting and habitat loss. These are two major issues due to which Swan Goose population has decreased to an alarming level. Due to modernization and rapid growth in human population people are destroying the natural breeding places of birds and animals including Swan Goose as well. As Wetlands is one major habitat of Swan Goose being destroyed by human activities, Swan Goose lost their breeding places due to which their population decreased at lot. Along with the destruction of natural habitats, Swan Goose are hunted for their meat and used as game birds during shooting due to which its population decreased at alarming rate and it is in threat of being extinct from the face of the earth.

If efforts are not made to reduce these potential threats then some the threaten species like Swan Goose will diminish from the earth’s face. In context of reducing potential threats to Swan Goose, efforts are being made all round the world by developing different schemes in order to reduce the shooting of Swan goose and providing them safe and suitable breeding places.

The Latin name of Andean Flamingo is Phoenicoparrus andinus and it is mostly found in the South America. Its color is pinkish white with a height about 100 to 140 cm and weight up to 8 pounds. The life is expected to be up to 40 years. Its wingspan is about 100 t0 170 cm. Its neck and legs are really very long. Andean Flamingo have a very loud honking call to communicate. Beside this, they also communicate using a wing salute by stretching their neck and flipping their tail. Mostly, they breed in colonies having thousands of individuals. One egg is laid by female which takes about 27 to 31 days to hatch.  The young ones are fed on the substance called crop milk which comes from parent’s upper digestive tract. The characteristic pink color of Andean Flamingo is due to the carotene in their diet. Being filter feeders, they mostly they feed on diatoms and algae. It can normally travel very vast distances from 200 to 700 miles in a single day.

The major threats to Andean Flamingo are mineral extraction and water diversion for human use due to which it has gained status of endangered species being in danger from being extinct. The natural breeding of Andean Flamingo is high wetlands of Andean where commercially important minerals are also found. In order to fulfill their requirements of human population of mineral and water, these wetlands are being destroyed and thus creating problems for breeding of Andean Flamingo. The wetlands are being mined at uncontrolled rate and diversion of water to fulfill agriculture usage has created the potential threats to the population of Andean Flamingo.

Efforts should be made in order to protect the endangered species including Andean Flamingo from being extinct from the face of the earth by the proper management of their breeding places and by making efforts to increase their natural population.

Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.