Latin name
Aythya ferina
Family
Swans, ducks and geese (Anatidae)
Where to see them
Good places to look in summer are open lakes and gravel pits in lowland eastern England and Scotland. They're much easier to see in winter across the whole of the UK, often on larger lakes and even on estuaries.
When to see them
Pochards are most common in the UK during autumn and winter, when large numbers fly from eastern Europe and Russia to escape the bitterly cold weather there. They're quite rare breeding birds in this country.
What they eat
Plants and seeds, snails, small fish and insects.
Population
| Europe | UK breeding* | UK wintering* | UK passage* | | - | 472 pairs | 38,000 birds | - |