The ferruginous duck is a globally threatened diving duck whose European breeding populations face serious welfare and conservation threats from wetland loss.
Ferruginous ducks breeding in degraded wetlands face food insecurity from reduced invertebrate prey density in heavily modified habitats. Nests in reeds near degraded water suffer from pollution-related reductions in insect availability critical for duckling growth. Hunting on migration routes causes injury and death to individuals that have survived the breeding season. Wetland drainage destroys breeding habitat eliminating entire local populations. Hybrids with white-eyed pochards may face reduced fitness affecting welfare outcomes.