Baer's pochard

Baer's pochard
Male (wintering)
Female (breeding)
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Genus:	Aythya
Species:	A. baeri
Binomial name
Aythya baeri (Radde, 1863)
Resident   Breeding season   Passage   Non-breeding season
Synonyms[2]
List Anas leucophthalmos Kittlitz, 1829 Anas (Fuligula) baeri Radde, 1863 Aythya ferina Swinhoe, 1871 Fulix baeri Swinhoe, 1871 Fulix cristata G. R. Gray, 1871 Fuligula nyroca David, 1871 Fuligula baeri Dybowski, 1874 Fulix nyroca David and Oustalet, 1877 Nyroca ferruginea Blakiston and Pryer, 1882 Fuligula baueri Tristram, 1889 Nyroca baeri Salvadori, 1895

Baer's pochard (Aythya baeri) is a diving duck found in eastern Asia. It is a resident bird in North and Central China, and formerly bred in southeast Russia and Northeast China, migrating in winter to southern China, Vietnam, Japan, and India. Baer's pochard is a monotypic species. The holotype was collected in middle Amur.

It has a distinctive black head and neck with green gloss. While in poor light, it is likely to look completely black. It is similar and closely related to the ferruginous duck, and they were previously considered to be a single species; Baer's pochard is differentiated by its white flanks when floating on the water, as well as its longer, more rounded head and larger size.

Its breeding season varies by latitude and environment. The nest, built from sedges, reeds and other plants, is placed among emergent vegetation, usually in shallow water or on small islands or ridges. Its clutch size ranges from 5 to 14. Males usually take on sentry duty, and females take on the responsibility of incubating.

Baer's pochard was once a common species in its range, but is now very rare. The number of mature individuals may be less than 1,000, and its population is still declining. Hunting and habitat loss are considered to be the main reasons. This species has been classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, and listed as a first-class protected animal in China.