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Bird name:

Common Pochard

Aythya ferinaOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: CPOC Scientific Name: AYTFER ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175126

Head

Topo Map: Duck-like Head

Bill Shape: Spatulate
Eye Color: Red.
Head Pattern: Plain
Crown Color: Red-brown
Forehead Color: Red-brown
Nape Color: Red-brown
Throat Color: Red-brown
Cere color: No Data

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Body

Topo Map: Duck-like Body

Length Range: 42-58 cm (16.5-23 in)
Weight: 816 g (28.8 oz)
Size: Size 4. Large (16 - 32 in)
Color: White, Black, Rufous or Rust
Underparts: Pale Gray
Upperparts: Pale gray with fine black barring.
Back Pattern: Solid
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Solid

Flight

Topo Map: Duck-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Strong direct flight.
Wingspan Range: 74-89 cm (29-35 in)
Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
Tail Shape: Rounded Tail
Tail Pattern: Solid
Upper Tail: Black
Under Tail: Black
Leg Color: Gray

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Common Pochard

Common Pochard: Medium-sized, colorful diving duck from Eurasia with a rich red-brown head, black breast and tail, and gray body. Dark bill has a pale gray saddle; eyes are red. Feeds on aquatic plants, dives often, sometimes dabbles. Swift direct flight on rapid wing beats. Flies in a V formation.

● Song: "mew-mew", whee-ough", "keyair", "rrrrrrrr", "squak"

● Foraging & Feeding: Common Pochard: Feeds by diving and dabbling for seeds, roots, and green vegetation. May also eat some invertebrates, amphibians, and fish.

● Breeding & nesting: Common Pochard: Nest built in depression in thick clump of grass that is well concealed by vegetation. Female incubates six to twelve green to olive eggs for 25 days. Chicks leave the nest upon hatching and make their first flight at 50 to 55 days.

● Similar species: Common Pochard: Redhead has darker gray plumage, pale bill lacks blue band and black at base and tip. Canvasback is larger and has a sloping profile with all black bill.

Flight Pattern

Strong direct flight.

● Range & Habitat: Common Pochard: Rare visitor to the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, very rare in rest of Alaska and one record for southern California.

^BreedingSolitary nester, Loose colonies

^PopulationAbundant on grounds

^MigrationSome migrate

^Weight28.8 Ounces

Duck-like Head

Duck-like Body

Duck-like Flight

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Common Pochard

Head

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Body

Flight

Common Pochard

Flight Pattern