Critically endangered wild duck spotted in China's Yunnan

KUNMING -- A critically endangered wild duck has been spotted in a wetland in Southwest China's Yunnan province, according to local authorities.

The image of a Baer's Pochard, which is under first-class state protection, was captured by a bird-watcher in Tengchong Beihai Wetland on Feb 14. It was the first recorded sighting of the bird in the city of Tengchong.

The species mainly inhabits lakes, reservoirs and marshes, usually living with other wild ducks and feeding on roots, leaves, stems and seeds of aquatic plants.

Since the 1990s, the population of Baer's Pochard has dropped sharply due to loss of habitat, over-hunting, human interference and other factors. It has been listed as a "critically endangered" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

However, the number of bird species in the Tengchong wetland has increased to 55 in recent years thanks to the city's efforts in restoring its wetlands and reducing pollution sources and human interference.