Baer's Pochard (Aythya baeri) is classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN. It is now, reported to occur in extremely reduced numbers in its breeding and wintering grounds. It is thought that hunting and wetland destruction are the key reasons for its decline. And it has been largely neglected, and never explored in Bhutan.

Therefore, through this study, efforts will be made to authenticate its presence through documentation, study its wintering grounds in Sarpang district (lowlands in Bhutan where the presence of target species is reported during winter months) and determine conservation risks to initiate proper strategies.

The native countries of the Critically Endangered Baer's Pochard include Bangladesh, China, Bhutan, and other South East Asian countries (IUCN, 2016). The habitat of the species is rapidly getting fragmented due to human interference like diversion of lakes for irrigation, and destruction of wetlands due to excessive grazing, and lacks proper documentation and studies.

Study on Baer’s Pochard is, so far, not undertaken in Bhutan. Scientific explorations are paramount as it is already threatened due to hunting and wetland destruction in its breeding, and wintering grounds. The study is proposed with the intent to determine and/or authenticate the occurrence of the Baer’s Pochard in the wintering grounds in lowlands of Bhutan through photographic capture, and identify its potential conservation threats in the study area to come up with scientific documentation on the species.

Further, strategies to protect the habitat and conserve the Baer’s Pochard will be framed in consultation with local communities, local forest officials, and other relevant stakeholders.

Finally, the proposed project is oriented towards bolstering the conservation efforts of the species through local participation. Local communities and other agencies will be engaged during the entire course of the project in designing methods, conducting interviews, collection data, analyzing the data, organizing public advocacies and training, and framing appropriate strategies, focused on the conservation of the target species.