It is shy and secretive, inhabiting secluded and overgrown still-water pools, marshes and swamps in lowland forest and tall grasslands, particularly areas subject to seasonal inundation and, in winter, also lagoons adjoining large rivers. Outside the breeding season it was usually encountered in small groups and occasionally flocks of 30-40. Some, and possibly all, populations undertook local seasonal movements, resulting in scattered historical records as far afield as Punjab, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in India. Conjecture from researchers conducting surveys for the species has suggested that it may be nocturnal, explaining the difficulty in locating it, and the reason behind its unique colouration (J. Eames in litt. 2006).

Rhodonessa caryophyllacea is endemic to South Asia, where the majority of records some from north-east India (but records span Andhra Pradesh and Maharashitra in the south, and the far north-west) and adjacent areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar. There is a single verified record from Nepal, but it may have been more regular. For a full review of localities and former range, see BirdLife International (2001).

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I. CMS Appendix II. Throughout the 1950s there were attempts to clarify its status, culminating in a literature and museum specimen review. It was subsequently searched for in some key areas. Since 1956, it has been legally protected. There have been various expeditions searching for this species this century (e.g. Eames 2008, Thorns 2014) and these are ongoing (Moreno 2024). It is included in the Search for Lost Birds Project (see Rutt et al. 2024).

Conservation Actions Proposed
The most urgent action needed for this species is its rediscovery. If any population is extant, it needs rapidly to be found and initial safeguards put in place to ensure its protection. It is possible, however, than no population remains, and repeating extinction probability analysis to include more recent search effort is urgently required.