Red-Crested Pochard, female, 20221028, 05 f

Red-Crested Pochard, ( Netta rufina ),

Order - Anseriformes, Family - Anatidae, Species - Aythya ferina,

 

The brick-red head, black breast and tow-tone black-and-grey beak of rhe pochard drake are distinctive, the female is a dowdy greyish-brown with lighter streaks, Pochards nest in reedbebs and other vegetation bordering fresh water, In winter, sites such as gravel oits and reservoirs are favoured, there the birds dirds for for molluscs, other animals and plants, The nest may be on the ground, but sometimes a platform is made of water plants built up from the bottom in shallow water, The equally striking red-crested pochard, when seen wild in Britain, is probably an escape from a wildfowl collection,

Lowland waters, mostly in eastern Britain and lowand Scotland, winter visitors widespread,

 

Feeding - Dives from surface, taking, molluscs, other animals and plants, seeds, shoots,

Length - 42 - 49 cm ,

Wingspan - 72 - 82 cm ,

Weight - 700 - 1,000g ,

Lifespan - 8 - 10 years ,

Status - Secure ,

Done