This endemic species of India is rare. It inhabits freshwater ponds and saline swamps in the coastal regions of the Andaman Islands. It forages at nights and roosts while congregated in a group of 20-30 individuals during the day (BirdLife International 2017). 

Conservation Status:
 

This species is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).


According to the IUCN Red List Assessment, the population of this species has been stable due to the absence of records that prove whether they have declined or increased. The current population size is estimated to be 250-999 individuals. The threat to its persistence comes from habitat disturbance due to large-scale agriculture and human encroachments like hunting and fishing (BirdLife International 2017).