- Lifespan
- 8–10 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 34–38 cm, wingspan 58–66 cm; 250–360 g
- Habitat
- Shallow freshwater wetlands, marshes, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal lagoons with dense vegetation.
- UK Distribution
- Widespread across the UK; resident year-round but numbers increase significantly in winter with migratory birds arriving from continental Europe and Asia.
- Diet
- Primarily seeds and vegetation, particularly pondweeds and small aquatic plants; also small invertebrates and insects, especially during breeding season.
- Predators
- Foxes, mink, stoats, and raptors including Sparrowhawks and Marsh Harriers; eggs and chicks vulnerable to corvids and rats.
- Mating Season
- October to May, with peak courtship December to March
- Breeding
- Clutch of 8–11 eggs; incubation period 21–23 days; one brood per year; females are sole incubators and carers.
- Behaviour
- Highly social, particularly in winter when they form large flocks. Males perform elaborate courtship displays with head-flicking and whistling calls. They are dabbling ducks, feeding by tipping forward to reach aquatic vegetation rather than diving.