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Common pochard

Diputación de Málaga
Common Pochard

Common pochard

Common nameCommon pochard
Scientific nameAythya ferina
HabitatsWetlands
TypeAcuáticas
StatusResidente
Present
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wintering Summer Resident Migration
Animal Life > Birds

Mid-sized duck (approx 45 cm or 17.5 in). Males with a rufous head. Black bill with blue-grey tip. Black breast and anal area. Grey upperparts and flanks, lighter on the sides. Intense red eyes. Brown females, greyish on the back. Bill like the male. It is a typical diving duck (short neck, triangular head, heavy; short tail, low and close to water).

Where it lives

All kinds of shallow wetlands with abundant submerged and marshy vegetation on the border.

How it lives

Species resident in the province, which also hosts many wintering specimens. This duck breeds from April. One laying of 6 to 11 eggs. It feeds on submerged plants and a small fraction of animal feed (mosquito larvae, small fish, crustaceans).

Where it can be seen in Malaga

Frequent and abundant species. It can be observed in the mouth of the Guadalhorce and Vélez rivers, Fuente de Piedra and Campillos lagoons, as well as in some reservoirs near the coast (Cancelada in Estepona, for example).

Curious facts

Common pochards are clumsy ducks, which have a hard time and need a lot of space to fly. In fact the Spanish name of this duck ("porrón") derives from "porro", which means clumsy.

More information