Niceforo’s Pintail (Anas georgica ssp. niceforoi)  

The Pintail inhabits large parts of South America, two or three subspecies are recognized.  

The extinct subspecies discussed here, Niceforo’s Pintail, once inhabited the higher altitude regions of Colombia. The birds, which reached a length of 61 to 71 cm, were first described as a distinct form in the year 1940.  

The local duck-hunters, however, already knew them for a much longer time, they called the birds Pato Pico de Oro de Colombia resp. Pato Pico de Oro de Nicéforo, and studiously hunted them, and finally managed to extirpate the whole population within the next 12 years.  

The last birds were seen in the year 1952 (or 1956, according to other sources).  

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References:  

[1] Steve Madge; Hilary Burn: Waterfowl: An identification guide to the Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World. Houghton Mifflin, Boston 1988  

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edited: 17.10.2020