# Common Pochard

*Aythya ferina*

Pochards are expert diving ducks, often submerging for 15 seconds or more to forage on the lakebed.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Aythya
- **IUCN Red List status:** Vulnerable
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Deep freshwater lakes, slow-moving rivers, and marshes with abundant emergent vegetation.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; feeds on aquatic plants, seeds, mollusks, insects, and small fish.
- **Range:** Europe, Asia, North Africa
- **Size:** 42-49 cm in length with a 72-82 cm wingspan
- **Lifespan:** 7-10 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Wetland drainage, pollution, lead poisoning from spent shot, and hunting pressure.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Observe from a distance to avoid causing stress. If found injured, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator. Do not feed bread, as it lacks nutritional value and pollutes the water.

## About

The common pochard /ˈpɒtʃərd/ ( Aythya ferina ) is a medium-sized diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek aithuia an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin ferina , "wild game", from ferus , "wild".

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/9c93acba-65b3-4d7d-a836-01482eaad3fb
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7045
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aythya ferina
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/330781096/medium.jpg (Andrew Bazdyrev, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.