Spain's marbled duck numbers climb after wetland restoration

In short

• Spain recorded 172 breeding female marbled ducks and 1,427 chicks in 2025.
• In 2009 the country had just 20 breeding pairs.
• A conservation project restored more than 3,600 hectares of wetlands.

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The marbled duck is a threatened species, and its numbers in Spain had fallen very low. The count of breeding females and chicks shows the population has grown steadily since 2009. The gain follows a conservation project that restored more than 3,600 hectares of wetland habitat.

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For kids

Marbled ducks are a kind of duck that lives in wetlands. In Spain, people fixed up more than 3,600 hectares of wet land where the ducks live. Now many more ducks are raising chicks there. What do you think ducks need to feel at home?