Birdsong field guide
Baer's Pochard
Aythya baeri
The Baer's Pochard is a critically endangered East Asian diving duck characterized by the male's dark iridescent green head and striking white iris.
What it sounds like
Largely silent; males produce a low, raspy 'graaa' during courtship, while females give a harsh, croaking 'karr'.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto
Field notes
- The global population is estimated at fewer than 1,000 mature individuals, leading to its status as Critically Endangered.
- Males possess a distinctive bottle-green head and white flanks that contrast sharply with a dark chestnut breast.
- Unlike many other diving ducks, this species prefers shallow, heavily vegetated wetlands for nesting rather than open deep water.
- Recent breeding records show a southern shift in its range, with new nesting sites identified in central China.
- The species is highly susceptible to habitat loss and degradation within its primary wintering grounds in the Yangtze River basin.
Habitat
Freshwater lakes and marshes with dense emergent vegetation, such as reeds and sedges, often adjacent to flooded grasslands.
Range
Breeds in Northeast China and Southeast Russia; winters in Southern China, Vietnam, Thailand, and parts of India.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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