Baer's pochard (Aythya baeri) is a medium sized diving duck belonging to the family Anatidae. Baer's pochard species is distributed in Indian Subcontinent, China, Japan, Russia and Vietnam.
Taxonomy of Baer's pochard
- Scientific Name: Aythya baeri
- Common Name: Baer's pochard
- French: Fuligule de Baer; German: Baermoorente; Spanish: Porrón de Baer;
- Other names: Anas baeri Radde, 1863;
- Family: Anatidae › Anseriformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Species author: (Radde, 1863)
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| Indian birds - Baer's pochard - Aythya baeri |
Description
Baer's pochard species are medium sized, measuring 40 to 45 cm in length and weighing 850 to 900 grams. The female pochard is slightly smaller than the male. The wingspan is 70 to 80 cm. The head, upper neck and back are blackish. The bill is grey. The upper flanks and breast are chestnut. The lower flanks and belly are whitish. The eyes are whitish.Habitat
These pochard species inhabit water bodies with rich aquatic vegetation. They occur in freshwater bodies, rivers, freshwater lakes, reservoirs and coastal habitats surrounded by thick vegetation.Feeding habits
These pochard species feed on aquatic plants, grains, seeds, roots, bulbs and grasses. They also feed on invertebrates, insects, crustaceans, molluscs, frogs and small fish.Breeding
These pochard species nest on ground among thick vegetation. They also nest on floating vegetation.Distribution
Baer's pochard species breed the Amur and Ussuri basins in Russia and north-eastern China. These pochard species move southwards for wintering in eastern and southern mainland China, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan, Vietnam. There is sharp decline in wintering populations.Movement Patterns
These pochard species breed in Russia and China and move southwards in September–October for wintering.Status and conservation
There is rapid decline in Baer's pochard population in the last three generation. The total population is likely to be less than 1,000 birds. These species are critically endangered. Habitat degradation, hunting and drying up of breeding grounds are the major causes for the decline.The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these pochard species and has listed them as "Critically Endangered".
| Biological classification of Aythya baeri | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Subfamily: | Aythyinae |
| Genus: | Aythya |
| Species: | A. baeri |
| Binomial name: | Aythya baeri |
| Distribution: | Eastern Asia, Indian Subcontinent, China, Japan and Vietnam; |
| Feeding habits: | aquatic plants, grains, roots, tubers, shoots, seeds, aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and molluscs; |
| IUCN status listing: |  Critically Endangered |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baer%27s_Pochard_RWD4.jpg
Author: DickDaniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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