The Red-crested Pochard, Netta rufina, is a striking large diving duck. Its name is drawn from the Greek word for duck, 'Netta', and the Latin 'rufina', meaning 'golden-red', a nod to the male's vibrant plumage.
Males are resplendent with a rounded orange head, a red bill, and a contrasting black breast. Their sides are a crisp white, with a brown back and a black tail. Females, on the other hand, are clad in more subdued tones, primarily pale brown with a darker back and crown, and a whitish face. During eclipse, males resemble females but retain their red bills.
These ducks favor lowland marshes and lakes, thriving in the wetland habitats of southern Europe.
The Red-crested Pochard breeds from the steppe and semi-desert regions near the Black Sea to Central Asia and Mongolia. It is a somewhat migratory species, with northern populations wintering in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa.
Gregarious by nature, Red-crested Pochards form large flocks in the winter, often mingling with other diving ducks such as the Common Pochard. They are known to both dive and dabble for their food.
A wheezing veht call can be given by the male. Series of hoarse vrah-vrah-vrah calls can also be heard from females.
Red-crested pochards build nests by the lakeside among vegetation and lay 8–12 pale green eggs. The birds' status in the British Isles is much confused because there have been many escapes and deliberate releases over the years, as well as natural visitors from the continent. However, it is most likely that they are escapees that are now breeding wild and have built up a successful feral population. They are most numerous around areas of England including Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and also spotted in Leicestershire.
The red-crested pochard is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
