Thursday 3 April 2014

Baikal Teal (Anas formosa)

OTHER NAMES: Formosa Teal, Spectacled Teal, Bimaculate Duck, Squawk Duck
Latin Etymology: Anas ("duck") formosa ("beautiful")
Adult male Baikal Teal (Sibrionette formosa) at Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire - April 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 360-520g  /  Length: 68-78cm  /  Wingspan: 65-75cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List - Least Concern

The Baikal Teal is one of the rarest of all ducks to turn up in the UK, on the assumption this individual is accepted (and apparently signs are good for that) it will be only the 6th ever in Britain.  Normally, I'm not much of a twitcher, in regards to rare species outside places I can easily access but in this case I made an exception, the Baikal Teal is in my opinion one of the most attractive duck species, plus I have always found Lake Baikal, the place it is named after, fascinating - the deepest lake in the world which contains 20% of the worlds unfrozen fresh water.  Despite being in the middle of Asia it also has its own seal species.  Anyway as a result I decided to go and see this as having the opportunity to do so, and comparatively near me is very rare.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Anas
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - An ultra-rare vagrant, with under seven records ever 
 - A single vagrant male at Fen Drayton .

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red ListRSPBWikipedia, Xeno-canto

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