# Common Pochard (*Aythya ferina*) The Common Pochard is a beautiful duck with a round body and a striking red head. They love to swim in lakes and ponds, diving for tasty plants and small fish. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Common Pochard](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Aythya_ferina_Gentofte_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Hunter Desportes, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aythya_ferina_Gentofte_1.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Pochard is a medium-sized diving duck. Males have a striking reddish-brown head, a black chest, and a pale grey body, with a distinctive blue-grey bill tipped in black. Females are duller brown with a pale facial patch, differing from other ducks by their rounded head and heavy body. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Aythya ## Interesting facts - A group of pochards is called a 'raft' when on the water! - Common Pochards sometimes lay their eggs in other birds' nests! - Their dense feathers trap air, making them extra buoyant underwater! - They can hold their breath for a full minute while diving for food! ## Special abilities - **Deep Diver:** Common Pochard can dive up to 3 meters underwater that helps them find food on the lakebed. - **Underwater Forager:** Common Pochard has a specially adapted bill that helps them filter and grasp small invertebrates and plant matter. - **Running Takeoff:** Common Pochard needs a long run across the water's surface to gain speed for flight because of their heavy bodies. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 42-49 cm - **Wingspan:** 72-82 cm - **Weight:** 0.7-1.1 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 6-12 - **Incubation:** 24-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 2500 km ## Diet & Feeding They eat mostly aquatic plants and small creatures found at the bottom of water bodies. - **Age differences:** Ducklings initially consume more invertebrates; adults have a greater proportion of plant material in their diet. - **Primary Foods:** Aquatic plants, Insect larvae, Molluscs, Small crustaceans, Fish eggs, Small fish - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes prey on eggs and ducklings. - **Eaten by:** [Black-headed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-headed-gull) (*Larus ridibundus*) — Gulls can snatch eggs from nests. - **Eaten by:** [Northern Pike](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-pike) (*Esox lucius*) — Large pike can eat young ducklings. - **Eats:** Curled Pondweed (*Potamogeton crispus*) — They dive to eat plant parts and seeds. - **Eats:** Spiked Water Milfoil (*Myriophyllum spicatum*) — Pochards consume stems and leaves underwater. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch ducks from a distance and don't feed them bread, as it can make them sick. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Pochard? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Pochard? 42-49 cm ### What is Common Pochard's wingspan? 72-82 cm ### How much does Common Pochard weigh? 0.7-1.1 kg ### How long does Common Pochard live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Common Pochard move? 60 km/h ### What does Common Pochard eat? They eat mostly aquatic plants and small creatures found at the bottom of water bodies. ### Where is Common Pochard usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Naturpark Thüringer Schiefergebirge / Obere Saale](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-thuringer-schiefergebirge-obere-saale) — Thüringen, DE · Park - [Volkspark Dutzendteich (Nürnberg)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/volkspark-dutzendteich-nuremberg) — Bayern, DE · Park - [Naturpark Bergisches Land](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-bergisches-land) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park - [Avigliana Lakes Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/avigliana-lakes-nature-park) — IT · Park - [Freizeitpark Rheinaue (Bonn)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/freizeitpark-rheinaue-bonn) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park - [Kiyosumi Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kiyosumi-gardens) — Tokyo, JP · Park [View all places to see Common Pochard](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-pochard) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Pochard: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-pochard)