Baer's Pochard Aythya baeri Scientific name definitions

41–47 cm; male c. 880 g, female c. 680 g (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); wingspan 70–79 cm (2 Brazil, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia: Eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Eastern Russia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Small, compact duck with very dark general coloration and large white wingbar  distinctive in flight (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) (being duller, especially on primaries, than A. nyroca) (3 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Generally resembles A. fuligula, but rounded head and bill shape recall A. ferina (2 Brazil, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia: Eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Eastern Russia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), with larger bill than A. nyroca (3 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Male  has green-glossed head  and neck in breeding plumage, blackish-brown upperparts , dark chestnut breast, paler chestnut and white flanks , white vent  (recalling A. nyroca, which is overall more rufescent and smaller) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), small white spot on chin, bill dark grey becoming bluer towards tip with black nail, and sometimes pale yellow iris instead of white  ; has eclipse plumage in which breast is more vividly coloured than that of adult female (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Female duller with blackish-brown head blending into chestnut-brown breast and flanks; has dark rufous spot  between bill and eye (lacking in eclipse male), and inconspicuous small white spots on neck; underwing  largely white; iris dark brown. Juvenile resembles female with russet-brown on abdomen; first-winter also like female, but much duller and browner, often having pale-marked breast, and has smaller (or no) paler patches at bill base and on fore-flanks (3 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ).

• Common x Baer's Pochard (hybrid) Aythya ferina x baeri
• Ferruginous Duck x Baer's Pochard (hybrid) Aythya nyroca x baeri

Amur and Ussuri basins in SE Siberia and NE China; recently recorded breeding in C China (Hubei) (4 Lu, Q., Li, S. and Tao, X. (2015). Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: breeding in central Yangtze region, China. BirdingASIA. 24: 84–86. Close ); perhaps also N Korea. Winters mainly in E & S China, also NE India to Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Preferably in open country, on well-vegetated pools, small lakes and slow-flowing rivers with ample emergent vegetation (2 Brazil, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia: Eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Eastern Russia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). In winter frequents larger waterbodies, including marshes, coastal lagoons, reservoirs (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) and estuaries.

Migratory; leaves breeding grounds in Sept–Oct (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) after moult to winter in coastal plains of SE China and several scattered localities westwards to NE India and southwards to Indochina; a few may winter in South Korea and Japan. In India, very uncommon and erratic away from NE (mainly Assam, where three seen in Feb–Mar 2015 (5 Robson, C., S. Roddis, M. Sykes, and B. Sykes (2015). From the field. BirdingASIA 23:138–144. Close , 6 Hearn, R. (2015). The troubled Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: cause for a little optimism. BirdingASIA. 24: 78–83. Close ), but also Sikkim (7 Acharya, B.K. and Vijayan, L. (2010). Status and distribution of endemic and threatened birds of the Eastern Himalaya in Sikkim, India. J. Threatened Taxa. 2(2): 685–689. Close ), Tripura (8 Choudhury, A. (2010). Recent ornithological records from Tripura, north-eastern India, with an annotated checklist. Indian Birds. 6(3): 66–74. Close ) and at least formerly in Manipur) (9 Choudhury, A. (2009). Significant recent ornithological records from Manipur, north-east India, with an annotated checklist. Forktail. 25: 71–89. Close ), with only very occasional records in Uttar Pradesh (10 Urfi, A. J. (2003). The birds of Okhla barrage bird sanctuary, Delhi, India. Forktail 19:39–50. Close ), Uttaranchal Pradesh (11 Singh, A.P. (2006). New and significant records from Dehra Dun valley and adjacent hills, lower Garhwal Himalayas, India: May 21221222–March 21221226. Forktail. 22: 160–163. Close ) and elsewhere. Records in Taiwan span the period mid Oct to late Mar (2 Brazil, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia: Eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Eastern Russia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Vagrant to Kamchatka, Pakistan (Punjab, Jan 1957) (12 Roberts, T. J. (1991). The Birds of Pakistan. Volume 1. Non-Passeriformes. Oxford University Press, Karachi, Pakistan. Close ) and the Philippines (five records, most recently on Luzon in Jan–Feb 2015) (13 Kennedy, R. S., P. C. Gonzales, E. C. Dickinson, H. C. Miranda, and T. H. Fisher (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close , 5 Robson, C., S. Roddis, M. Sykes, and B. Sykes (2015). From the field. BirdingASIA 23:138–144. Close ), with just two records in Bhutan (Mar 1994 (14 Bishop, K.D. (1999). Preliminary notes on some birds in Bhutan. Forktail. 15: 87–91. Close ), Apr 1998) (15 Spierenburg, P. (2005). Birds in Bhutan: Status and Distribution. Oriental Bird Club, Bedford, UK. Close ) and one in Laos (early 2000), although speculated that species was perhaps regular in latter country in 1980s, when reasonably large numbers still occurred in adjacent Thailand (16 Duckworth, J. W. (2009). Eight new birds for Laos. Forktail 25:96–103. Close ).

Little known, but evidence suggests both plant and animal materials consumed, with rice an important food in some areas and small frogs also reported (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Probably obtains major part of food by diving. Preliminary activity budget data from Bangladesh (in winter) revealed that species spent most time between 08:00 hours and 14:00 hours resting (58%) and swimming (32%), and considerably less time foraging (7.4%) and preening (2.6%), but were most actively foraging and swimming  prior to 10:00 hours and primarily stationary (either resting or preening) after 10:30 hours (17 Chowdhury, S. U., A. C. Lees, and P. M. Thompson (2012). Status and distribution of the endangered Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri in Bangladesh. Forktail 28:57–61. Close ). Single pairs or small groups usually encountered in breeding season, while in non-breeding season often consorts with other ducks, in Bangladesh, for example, Netta rufina, Mareca strepera, Anas crecca, Aythya nyroca and A. ferina (17 Chowdhury, S. U., A. C. Lees, and P. M. Thompson (2012). Status and distribution of the endangered Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri in Bangladesh. Forktail 28:57–61. Close ); sometimes in large flocks, at least formerly (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Generally silent, especially in winter (3 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ), but both sexes said to give harsh “graaaak” in courtship, while at other times male utters “koro koro” and female a “kura kura kura” (2 Brazil, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia: Eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Eastern Russia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), generally reminiscent of A. ferina (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

During local spring, usually arriving on breeding grounds during Apr, but sometimes as early as mid Mar and as late as mid May, with laying starting late May to early Jun; broods seen on L Khanka (Russian Far East) as late as mid Aug (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Nest is scrape (155–180 mm by 55–120 mm) on ground amid dense cover (e.g. Carex, Zizania caduciflora, Typha sp. grasses) (4 Lu, Q., Li, S. and Tao, X. (2015). Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: breeding in central Yangtze region, China. BirdingASIA. 24: 84–86. Close ), sometimes with gulls (Larus) or terns (Chlidonias) (4 Lu, Q., Li, S. and Tao, X. (2015). Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: breeding in central Yangtze region, China. BirdingASIA. 24: 84–86. Close ), lined with vegetation and down feathers (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Clutch 6–13 cream-coloured eggs, mean size 51 mm × 38 mm, mass 39·3–42·8 g (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close , 4 Lu, Q., Li, S. and Tao, X. (2015). Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: breeding in central Yangtze region, China. BirdingASIA. 24: 84–86. Close ); incubation c. 27 days (captivity); newly hatched chicks weigh mean 24·2 g, similar in appearance to those of A. marila, but crown slightly darker and area behind vent paler (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). No further information.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED. Previously considered Vulnerable, then (2008) Endangered and more recently uplisted to highest threat category, while a single species action plan has been prepared as a result (6 Hearn, R. (2015). The troubled Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: cause for a little optimism. BirdingASIA. 24: 78–83. Close ). Population most recently estimated by BirdLife International at just 150–700 mature individuals and considered to be still declining. Wide range (c. 1,640,000 km²) but always rather rare in recent decades, although in first quarter of 20th century was still regarded as “extremely abundant” on passage through Hebei (NE China) (18 Williams, M. D., G. J. Carey, D. G. Duff, and X. Weishu (1992). Autumn bird migration at Beidaihe, China, 1986–1990. Forktail 7:3–55. Close ). Survey of 40 known localities in China, especially in lower and central Yangtze floodplain, in winter 2012/13 revealed total of just 45 birds, with possibility of some duplication, and none at all was seen during same period in Bangladesh and Myanmar (19 Hearn, R., Tao, X. and Hilton, G. (2013). A species in serious trouble: Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri is heading for extinction in the wild. BirdingASIA. 19: 63–67. Close ). However, 84 birds were present at single site in Shandong province, China, in Dec 2014 (5 Robson, C., S. Roddis, M. Sykes, and B. Sykes (2015). From the field. BirdingASIA 23:138–144. Close ), and total of 238 individuals were recorded that winter, the vast majority in China, with other records in NE India (Assam), Myanmar and Philippines (6 Hearn, R. (2015). The troubled Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: cause for a little optimism. BirdingASIA. 24: 78–83. Close ). Also, very few recent confirmed breeding records, e.g. in 2012 just one pair in C Hebei province and perhaps four pairs in Shandong province, with 7–8 pairs in first-named in spring 2015, both of which are S of the usual breeding range (19 Hearn, R., Tao, X. and Hilton, G. (2013). A species in serious trouble: Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri is heading for extinction in the wild. BirdingASIA. 19: 63–67. Close , 4 Lu, Q., Li, S. and Tao, X. (2015). Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: breeding in central Yangtze region, China. BirdingASIA. 24: 84–86. Close ), while in Far Eastern Russia there were no published breeding-season records in the Amur region between 1976 and 2012, although the species possibly bred at a private nature reserve there in 2013 (20 Heim, W., Wolanksa, K., Siegmund, A. and Schuster, U. (2013). Possible breeding of Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri at Muraviovka Park, Far East Russia. BirdingASIA. 20: 64–66. Close ). There have been recent (2013 and 2014) breeding-season records in North Korea (6 Hearn, R. (2015). The troubled Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: cause for a little optimism. BirdingASIA. 24: 78–83. Close ). Sharp decline recently in former USSR linked to drainage for rice cultivation and increased disturbance, while elsewhere habitat degradation (e.g. drying up of relevant waterbodies in Xianghai Reserve and Baiquan wetlands in Wuhan) and hunting are speculated to be significant factors (although reports of potentially huge numbers being shot in Jiangsu Province, China, are probably erroneous), but causes are poorly understood. Captive duck ‘farming’ might be another negative factor; A. baeri have been observed at such sites, and in general many birds that are supposedly captive-bred originate from the wild, usually from eggs collected in the wild then hatched in captivity (19 Hearn, R., Tao, X. and Hilton, G. (2013). A species in serious trouble: Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri is heading for extinction in the wild. BirdingASIA. 19: 63–67. Close ). Whatever the reasons, recent years have seen small numbers in many formerly important wintering areas, with just c. 10 individuals in last five years in Bangladesh (99% decline versus perhaps c. 2000 just 20 years ago, although some very large counts from this region have recently been questioned) (17 Chowdhury, S. U., A. C. Lees, and P. M. Thompson (2012). Status and distribution of the endangered Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri in Bangladesh. Forktail 28:57–61. Close ), only 4–5 birds at Bung Boraphet (Thailand) and a marked range contraction in S China, with no records from many provinces in recent years, despite increases in birdwatching activity, including almost complete loss of populations along Yangtze R (where 630 recorded in early 2004) (21 Barter, M., L. Cao, L. Chen, and G. Lei (2005). Results of a survey for waterbirds in the lower Yangtze floodplain, China, in January–February 2004. Forktail 21:1–7. Close ), at L Wuchang, Anhui (previously held largest-known concentration, of > 200 birds, in recent years), L Liangzi (c. 130 in winter 2010/2011) and Baiquan wetlands, Wuhan, while observations of migrants along Hebei coast have also been considerably reduced. Now very rare in both Vietnam and Nepal in recent winters. In late 1980s and early 1990s significant numbers still recorded in Vietnam (40 near Hanoi) and especially Thailand, with some counts of over 100, and up to 426 in Beung Boraphet, Nakhon Sawan Province; in China too, with 100 or more recorded at several sites, and notable 750 birds counted in 23 localities in Yancheng Marshes, coastal Jiangsu Province, in Jan 1988 (with 414 there in 2001) (22 Benstead, P. (2002). Conservation Fund: The conservation of threatened birds and their habitats at Yancheng marshes, Jiangsu, China. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 36: 13. Close ), while partial census in winter 1990 yielded: 575 in India; 10 in Bangladesh; 90 in Burma; 192 in Thailand; 853 in China. Some breeding and wintering sites lie within protected areas, including Daursky, L Khanka and L Bolon (Russia), Sanjiang and Xianghai (China), Mai Po (Hong Kong), Koshi Barrage (Nepal), Kaziranga National Park (Assam, India) (23 Barua, M., and P. Sharma (1999). Birds of Kaziranga National Park, India. Forktail 15:47–60. Close ) and Thale Noi (Thailand). Approximately 200 birds are currently in captivity, of which c. 70 have been genetically sampled and studbooks are planned, given the probability that captive breeding may be required in the species’ future conservation (6 Hearn, R. (2015). The troubled Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri: cause for a little optimism. BirdingASIA. 24: 78–83. Close ).