Is panda "a kind of a bear" or "a kind of bear"? [duplicate]

  • A panda is a kind of bear.

  • Pandas are a kind of bear.

  • "Panda" is a kind of bear.

(Saying "type" in place of "kind" would work equally well in these examples.)

But not:

  • *Panda is a kind of bear.
  • *Panda is a kind of a bear

(Saying "a panda is kind of a bear" would be a colloquial way of saying that is in some way like a bear, but isn't one really.)