Common Pochard Identification
Its scientific name is 'Aythya ferina', from the family Anatidae (order Anseriformes)
What I look like
The Common Pochard is a small diving duck recognizable by its pointed head and sloping forehead.
It has a short tail.
Its legs are short, webbed to adapt to swimming.
The wings, short and narrow for their weight, result in a beaten and energetic flight thanks to strong pectoral muscles.
The male has a reddish-brown head and neck with red eyes. The back and flanks are silver-gray.
Do not confuse with the male Red-crested Pochard, which has a red beak, a lighter head, and a darker brown back.
The female has a brownish head with light and dark patterns and dark eyes. The back and flanks are a darker gray.
The male has a black beak with a pale gray band and a shiny black chest.
The female has a beak with a narrow pale band in winter or entirely dark in summer. Her chest is brown.
During the late summer molt, males have a plumage similar to females called eclipse. They will regain their original plumage in 3 to 4 weeks.
In the Common Pochard, the male in eclipse is recognized by the front and back of the body, which are dark gray-brown.
In flight, its wings are gray with a light gray wing bar and dark wing edges.
The juvenile resembles the female, but without a pale line behind the eye and has a more uniform brown plumage.
My songs, my calls
In flight, the Common Pochard makes calls resembling those of corvids, like the Tufted Duck. "kree kree kree"
Males emit a whistle interrupted by a nasal ending "aaou.....ou-haa ah", which sounds like a toy.
The female produces a harsh growl similar to that of the Tufted Duck. "charr charr charr charr".
During courtship displays, the male whistles adding three to four sharp high-pitched calls "ki-ki-ki-ki". Here, you can hear female calls and male whistles with these sharp sounds.
How I behave
The Common Pochard is very sociable throughout the year. They can be seen with other ducks, like the Tufted Ducks.
They are mostly observed swimming on the surface, less frequently in flight.
So, to escape danger, it prefers to dive rather than fly away.
How I reproduce
The breeding season for the Common Pochard extends from April to June.
The nest, a simple depression, lined with vegetable debris and down, is hidden in vegetation.
It can contain a clutch of 5 to 12 eggs.
After mating, the male stays with the female until she lays the eggs, but does not participate in incubation or rearing the young.
What I eat
The Common Pochard searches for food by diving to the bottom or dabbling.
It eats aquatic plants, mollusks, larvae.
Where to find me
The Common Pochard spends the winter in Western and Southern Europe, on lakes, ponds, and calm rivers.
They are often found in parks during winter.
It is resident in France in a large northern half of the country.
Northern European populations are migratory.
Males, more than females, migrate southwards to southern Europe in the summer.
The Common Pochard can live around 10 years.