This species is suspected to be in moderately rapid decline, owing to pollution, drainage and hunting. It inhabits shallow inland wetlands including lakes, rivers, swamps and reservoirs. In common with many other Asian waterbirds, it is primarily threatened by habitat loss (both degradation of foraging areas and felling of trees used for breeding), pollution, disturbance (at feeding grounds and colonies), hunting, egg collecting and pollution. It survives best in some national parks of the region.