029 (Common) Pochard
(Aythya ferina)
Identification
42-49cm. Medium-sized, short-tailed duck with with long neck and long bill with concave culmen running without step into sloping forehead, giving fairly distinctive profile with smoothly peaked crown. In all plumages, wings have indistinct greyish wing-bars. Adult breeding males have bright chestnut coloured head, blackish bill with pale grey band across outer part, reddish eye, black breast.Flanks and back pale ash-grey, stern black.
Description
In Hungary the Common Pochard is a fairly common breeding bird on ponds with scattered vegetation. Occurs throughout the year, overwinters on unfrozen sites. In March as well as in October and November flocks of several thousands can be observed on Lake Balaton, Lake Tisza and extensive lowland fishponds.
-Pochard-(Aythya-ferina).jpg "029 (Common) Pochard (Aythya ferina )")
Source: 1) Lovászi Péter (editor): Javasolt különleges madárvédelmi területek Magyarországon, Magyar Madártani és Természetvédelmi Egyesület, 2002; 2) BirdLife International:IUCN Red List for birds. Species factsheet; 3) Králl Attila, Nagy Károly: Fontos Madárélőhelyek Magyarországon (Területek, kritériumok és minősítő fajok) MME Monitoring Központ, 2007; 4) Szabolcs Kókay bird illustrations; 5) www.hungarianbirdwatching.com bird descriptions and checklists, 2004-2012; 6) Lars Svensson et al.: Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe 2nd Edition, Harper Collins, 2010; 7) MME Nomenclator Bizottság: Nomenclator avium Hungariae. An annotated list of the birds of Hungary. Magyar Madártani és Természetvédelmi Egyesület, 2008