Key information
Larger than a pochard, the male has an orange-brown head with a red beak and pale flanks. Females are brown with pale cheeks. In flight they show whitish primaries. They dive, dabble and up-end for their food. There is a large population in Spain and nearer but smaller numbers in France, Netherlands and Germany - and occasional wild birds may come to the UK from the Continent. The UK breeding birds almost certainly all come from escaped birds.
What they eat:
Stems, roots and seeds of aquatic vegetation.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 53-57cm
- Wingspan:
- 85-90cm
- Weight:
- 900-1,400g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 10-21 pairs
- UK wintering:
- 500 birds
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Red-crested pochard (male)
Red-crested pochard (female)
