Netta rufina
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Mass
~1 kg
Habitat
Wetlands and marshes
Diet
Aquatic plants
How to recognize it
The Red-crested Pochard is a large, heavy duck with a striking male: a rounded orange head, red bill, and dark breast make it hard to miss. The female is much quieter in appearance, with a plain pale-brown look.
It moves with more ease on land than many diving ducks and often comes ashore to feed. Males are usually quiet, though their soft whistle is more often heard in spring.
It prefers freshwater lakes with reeds and patches of open water, and in some places it also turns up on city ponds. It feeds mainly on aquatic plants, adding molluscs and other small water animals on wintering grounds, and most of the range is migratory.
Quick Facts
The Red-crested Pochard is a large, heavy duck with a striking male: a rounded orange head, red bill, and dark breast make it hard to miss. The female is much quieter in appearance, with a plain pale-brown look.
It moves with more ease on land than many diving ducks and often comes ashore to feed. Males are usually quiet, though their soft whistle is more often heard in spring.
It prefers freshwater lakes with reeds and patches of open water, and in some places it also turns up on city ponds. It feeds mainly on aquatic plants, adding molluscs and other small water animals on wintering grounds, and most of the range is migratory.
