A flock of grey-and-white wild ducks were photographed by bird surveyor Zheng Wei at the Tiehuangsha Wetland when he was conducting bird monitoring in the wetlands of the Yangtze River (Changshu section). The birds were identified as long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis), marking the first record of this species in Suzhou.
The long-tailed duck is a medium-sized duck around 58 centimeters long, with grey, black and white plumage. With its round, neat appearance and pointed tail often held high while swimming, it looks lively and charming, earning it the nickname “Cute Duck” among birdwatchers.
This species winters mainly in coastal shallow waters and lagoons and is rarely seen in freshwater. In China, it is mainly found in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea. It is a rare winter visitor in Jiangsu Province, with previous records only in Yancheng, Lianyungang, and Nantong. The long-tailed duck is currently listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Tiehuangsha Wetland is located off the Wangyu River estuary in Haiyu Town, Changshu. It is a peninsula-shaped sandbar on the Yangtze River tidal flat, covering a total area of about 16 square kilometers.
