Common Pochard
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
What3Words
///trailers.ripen.grownup
The Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) is a medium-sized, plump diving duck known for its distinctive appearance and social nature. It is widespread across the Palearctic region, where it breeds in temperate and northern areas and migrates to the south and west for winter.
Size: They are 42–49 cm (17–19 inches) in length with a wingspan of 72–82 cm (28–32 inches).
Male (Drake): Males are easily identifiable by their striking reddish-brown, or chestnut-coloured, head and neck, bright red eyes, black breast and rear, and a pale grey body with fine darker lines (vermiculations). Their bill is dark grey with a wide blue-grey band across the middle.
Female (Hen): Females have duller, darker grey-brown plumage with a browner head and dark eyes. Eclipse Plumage: After the breeding season, males moult into a duller, mottled grey-brown "eclipse" plumage, similar to the female, for camouflage while they are temporarily flightless.
Diving Duck Features: They have a stocky build, a short neck, and legs set well back on the body, which helps them to dive efficiently but makes them somewhat clumsy on land.
Common Pochard
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre.
What3Words
///trailers.ripen.grownup
The Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) is a medium-sized, plump diving duck known for its distinctive appearance and social nature. It is widespread across the Palearctic region, where it breeds in temperate and northern areas and migrates to the south and west for winter.
Size: They are 42–49 cm (17–19 inches) in length with a wingspan of 72–82 cm (28–32 inches).
Male (Drake): Males are easily identifiable by their striking reddish-brown, or chestnut-coloured, head and neck, bright red eyes, black breast and rear, and a pale grey body with fine darker lines (vermiculations). Their bill is dark grey with a wide blue-grey band across the middle.
Female (Hen): Females have duller, darker grey-brown plumage with a browner head and dark eyes. Eclipse Plumage: After the breeding season, males moult into a duller, mottled grey-brown "eclipse" plumage, similar to the female, for camouflage while they are temporarily flightless.
Diving Duck Features: They have a stocky build, a short neck, and legs set well back on the body, which helps them to dive efficiently but makes them somewhat clumsy on land.