The world's critically endangered bird, the blue-headed diving duck, reappears in the Erhai Sea

On January 15, environmental monitors monitors monitored a blue-headed diving duck in the Erhai Yue Wetland in the southwest of Erhai, Dali City, following the record of two in the northern part of the Erhai Sea in the winter of 2017-2018.

Aythya baeri is a critically endangered and rare bird, listed in the "International Union for Conservation of Nature" (IUCN) 2013 Red List of Threatened Species ver3.1 - critically endangered (CR), according to the 2020 national blue-headed diving duck overwintering synchronous survey results show that the number of blue-headed diving ducks only about 1500 remains, which can be called the "giant panda" among birds, and in 2021, it was listed in the "List of Wild Animals under National Key Protection" of the national first-level protected animals.

The blue-headed diving duck is a rare seasonal migratory bird that breeds in northeast China; it is found in eastern China during migration and winters in most of southern China. It is an omnivorous bird that predominantly eats plant foods.

During the breeding season, it inhabits small lakes rich in aquatic plants such as reeds and grasses, but also in small lakes, ponds and swamps in mountainous forest areas with many aquatic grasses. In winter, it inhabits large lakes, rivers, bays, estuaries, ponds and coastal swamps. Live in mixed flocks with crested or other diving ducks. Timid, strong and powerful, he can fly very fast and can walk on the ground very quickly. Good at diving and swimming, and very flexible in taking off on the surface of the water. When frightened, it can immediately rise from the surface of the water.

In the winter of 2021-2022, the Erhai Sea has recorded the national first-class protected waterbirds black-faced spoonbills, black storks and blue-headed diving ducks, and the national second-level protected waterbird grey crane that has disappeared for many years and reappeared in the Erhai Sea, and the return and abundance of species is a "barometer" for the improvement of water quality and water environment and water ecology. The increase in the species of waterbirds in the Erhai wetland and the reappearance of new record species and national protected birds show that the ecological restoration of the Erhai Sea has created a good habitat for the waterbirds, and the macroscopic reflection of the initial results of the protection and management of the Erhai Sea.

Yunnan Network reporter Qin Menglin Correspondent Zhou Jun Li Tao