| Statistics | |
| Length: | 44cm - 48cm |
| Wingspan: | 77cm |
| Weight: | 930g |
| Average Lifespan: | 3 years |
The once-common pochard is now under threat because its populations are declining rapidly. The UK is an important winter destination for the pochard, with 48,000 birds visiting our wetlands and coasts.
About
The pochard is a diving duck and feeds on plant seeds, waterweed, snails and other aquatic invertebrates below the water's surface. Most of the birds in the UK come from northern and eastern Europe for the winter, with just a few pairs staying to nest.
How to identify
A plump, grey diving duck, a male pochard has a chestnut head and a black chest and rear end. The female is a darker, duller grey-brown.
Did you know?
As with many duck species, male (or 'drake') pochard moult their colourful feathers when the breeding season is over, and go into 'eclipse' plumage - a mottled grey-brown, just like the female (or 'hen'). This helps to camouflage them from predators.