Field Guide
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Pochard
Aythya ferina
Not yet photographed by the community
Diving duck; male has chestnut head and grey body.
Species Profile
Amber List (UK Birds of Conservation Concern); classified as Vulnerable in Europe due to population declines.
- Lifespan
- 10–20 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 42–49 cm, wingspan 72–82 cm; 800–1000 g
- Habitat
- Deep freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and flooded gravel pits with good diving depth and abundant aquatic vegetation.
- UK Distribution
- Winter visitor and passage migrant, mainly October to April; small breeding population concentrated in southern England. Numbers have declined significantly since the 1990s.
- Diet
- Aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates obtained by diving, with a preference for pondweeds and other submerged vegetation.
- Predators
- Foxes, pike, and birds of prey such as white-tailed eagles and peregrines; gulls may predate eggs and chicks.
- Mating Season
- March to June
- Breeding
- Clutch of 6–10 eggs; incubation period 24–28 days; typically one brood per season. Nests in dense reeds or overhanging vegetation near water.
- Behaviour
- Highly gregarious, forming large flocks in winter, particularly on open water. Males perform elaborate courtship displays with head-flicking and calling. Nocturnal feeders that dive to depths of up to 4 metres to forage.
- •The Pochard's population has crashed by over 95% in the UK since the 1990s, making it one of Britain's most concerning bird declines.
- •Males have distinctive chestnut-red heads and black breasts, whilst females are grey-brown, making them relatively easy to identify.
- •They are strong fliers and highly migratory, with British birds wintering in southern Europe and birds from Russia and Eastern Europe wintering in the UK.
- •Pochards are diving ducks and cannot take off from water as readily as dabbling ducks, requiring a running start across the water surface.
- •Avian botulism outbreaks on reservoirs have been implicated in recent Pochard die-offs, alongside habitat loss and reduced food availability.
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