Baikal Teal
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[Photo] An adult Baikal Teal duck. Picture from FWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). "Subject: vagrant, Asian duck, accidental". Date: February 01 1978

The Baikal Teal (Anas formosa) is a dabbling duck which breeds within the forest zone of eastern Siberia from the Yenisey basin eastwards to Kamchatka. It is a migratory species, wintering in Japan, Korea and northern and eastern China. Molecular (Johnson & Sorenson, 1999) and behavioral (Johnson et al., 2000) data suggests that it has no close relatives among living ducks and should be placed in a distinct genus; it is possibly closest to such species as the Garganey and the Northern Shoveler.

At between 39 and 43 cm, this duck is slightly larger and longer-tailed than the Common Teal. The breeding male is unmistakable, with a striking green, yellow and black head-pattern and a white vertical line at the side of the breast.

The females also have a distinctive head pattern with a small but prominent circular white loral spot, and a dark stripe behind the eye. Some "females" have "bridle" markings on their face, but it has been suggested that at least some of these bridled "females", if not all, are in fact juvenile males. The juvenile has a similar plumage to that of the female, and can be distinguished from the Common Teal by the pale loral spot.

In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female, but plumage is a much richer rufous colour.

It breeds in pools on the tundra edge and within swampy forests. In winter it is found on lowland freshwaters.

This species is classified as Vulnerable due to hunting and destruction of its wintering wetland habitats. However, more recent books state that the species is making a good comeback.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baikal_Teal

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