Red-crested pochard

Scientific name: Netta rufina

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males are unmistakable with a bright chestnut-red head, black breast and back, white flanks, and red bill and legs. Females are drabber with greyish-brown plumage, a darker cap, and reddish-tinged bill; noticeably smaller than males.

Size and weight

Males 53–57 cm, 900–1100 g; females 46–52 cm, 750–900 g.

Habitat

Red-crested pochards inhabit shallow freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and brackish lagoons with extensive reed beds and open water. They prefer lowland wetlands from sea level to moderate elevations.

Distribution

Breeds across southern Europe, central Asia, and into China; winters primarily in Mediterranean and North African wetlands, with vagrant populations in northwest Europe. Favours shallow water bodies with mixed reed and open zones.

Diet

Primarily dabbles and dives for aquatic vegetation, seeds, and invertebrates; feeds heavily on pondweed, coontail, and insect larvae.

Behaviour

Diurnal and crepuscular; highly gregarious, forming large rafts on open water during the day and dispersing to feed in shallows and reed margins at dawn and dusk. Swift, noisy fliers.

Hunting tips

Look for droppings and feed marks on emergent vegetation at reed margins; fresh disturbance on mud banks indicates recent activity. Approach from downwind across open water or through reed beds at first light when birds move to shallows. Use decoys and calls effectively as birds are vocal and highly responsive; expect fast, direct flight requiring leads on fast-moving targets.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

France

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.