Netta rufina - Red-crested Pochard
Feather characters. Barbules are short (0.70-0.72 mm) and barbules contain lightly stippled pigment. Triangular nodes are located on distal end, covering less than 30% of the total barbule length. On proximal end, nodal structures are visible but undeveloped and hardly swollen, and thus too small to qualify as nodes (15-16 per mm). An abrupt increase in size of nodes is seen distally along the barbules. In a very few cases triangular nodes may not be present. Villi are absent and internodes are occasionally kinked. Prongs are mostly located on distal end of barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. Occasionally minute prongs may be found proximal to triangular nodes. Prongs are often asymmetric. Their length varies but the longest prongs may reach a length between half and the entire length of the adjacent internode.
Field characters. Size 53-57 cm. Weight 1118 g (990-1300) (Dunning, 1993). A large, plump-bodied diving bird with a big, rounded head. Male with crimson bill, rich golden chestnut head and brown upperparts; neck, breast, upper tail-coverts and underparts glossy black; flanks and sides of belly white, contrasting with broad black stripe on centre of belly. Feathers on crown form erectile crest. In male flight-feathers form broad white band on upper wing, extending nearly the whole length of expanded wing; forewing dull brown. Female with brownish upperparts, pale brown flanks and breast suffused with yellowish white, belly greyer; forehead, crown and nape dark brown, contrasting with grey-white lores and cheeks; bill dark horn-brown with deep pink band behind nail; in flight wing pattern as in male but duller. Male in eclipse resembles adult female but with red bill and eye, more pronounced crest, and whiter wing.
Voice. Usually silent but male utters rasping wheeze in spring and female has hard, grating "churr".
Distribution. Local and rare, partly resident. Probably decreasing throughout range. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Prefers large, reed-fringed, moderately deep lakes but in western Europe also on small pools flanked with dense emergent vegetation.
Food. Feeds on vegetable matter by diving and by dabbling, occasionally taking aquatic insects, small fish, and frogs, crustaceans, molluscs.