A striking and critically endangered diving duck native to East and Southeast Asia, and one of the most threatened waterfowl on Earth. Males have a distinctive look: a dark, glossy green head, contrasting black breast, rich chestnut flanks, and white belly, with bright, pale eyes that stand out against their dark face. Females and juveniles are more subtly colored in warm brown tones, helping them blend into wetlands and marsh vegetation. Built for underwater feeding, Baer’s pochards have compact bodies, strong legs set far back, and a smooth, buoyant profile — perfect for diving after aquatic food sources.
Once widely distributed across northern China, Mongolia, eastern Russia, and parts of Southeast Asia, this species now survives in only a handful of locations, with key breeding areas centered in northeastern China. Its wintering grounds historically included Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand, but sightings today are extremely rare and often involve only a few individuals. In the wild, Baer’s pochards prefer shallow lakes, marshes, fishponds, and wetlands with good aquatic vegetation, where they forage on invertebrates, small fish, seeds, and aquatic plants. They typically dive to feed, surfacing with quick shakes and soft quacks, often staying in small groups or mixed flocks when not breeding.
Conservationists consider the Baer’s pochard a flagship species for wetland protection in Asia because its decline mirrors widespread habitat loss and degradation. The species has suffered dramatic population crashes due to wetland conversion for agriculture and development, pollution, unregulated hunting, and disturbance, especially during migration and breeding seasons. Another modern challenge comes from hybridization with the more common ferruginous duck, which complicates breeding efforts and genetic purity. Today, fewer than a thousand individuals are believed to remain in the wild — and possibly far fewer — making urgent action essential.
Distribution
Bangladesh
Bhutan
China
Hong Kong
India
Japan
Korea
Laos
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
North Korea
Pakistan
Philippines
Russia
Taiwan
Thailand
VietnamAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
