Pochard, Red-crested

Conservation status:

Vagrant

Description:

Plump, Mallard sized, diving duck, but often behaving as a surface feeder, sitting high on the water. Male diagnostic with large red head and paler erectile crest, red bill, black breast and white flanks. Eclipse male resembles female but with red bill. Female drab brown with pale grey cheeks contrasting with dark crown. Dark bill has pink band near tip. Appears large in flight where it shows broad white wing-bar throughout wing.