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Ferruginous Duck

Ferruginous Duck

Aythya nyroca

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The Ferruginous Duck is a small, dark diving duck of shallow, reedy wetlands in patchy areas of Europe, Asia and North Africa. Males are rich chestnut with a white eye and striking white undertail. It nests in dense marginal vegetation, sometimes on floating platforms among reeds. Western populations have declined or disappeared locally due to wetland loss, disturbance and hunting; it winters around the Mediterranean and Black Sea and in parts of Africa and Asia.

Did you know?

  • During courtship the male dips his tail into the water, flashing a white triangle of undertail feathers.
  • Its scientific name combines an Ancient Greek word for a seabird with the Russian word for pochard.

About the species

Identification

A small diving duck with an overall reddish-brown tone. The undertail is pure white, the flanks are not pale and there is no tuft. The male's white eye stands out on the dark head; the female is darker and has a dark eye. Told from Tufted Duck by the lack of a tuft and by the white undertail.

Family

Anatidae

Size

Large (crow)

Colours

brown, white

About the habitat

Shallow, nutrient-rich lakes, ponds and fishponds with abundant submerged vegetation and dense reedy margins; in winter also larger lakes, lagoons and coastal waters.

Diet

Mainly aquatic plants, supplemented by molluscs, aquatic insects and small fish, taken by diving and dabbling, often at night.

Behaviour

Less social than many diving ducks, but in winter it can join mixed flocks with Tufted Ducks and Pochards. It often forages close to reed cover. Pairs form early in the year; where common it may nest colonially on protected islands, often near gulls. The clutch is 6–14 eggs, and the female incubates for about 25–27 days. It is notably quiet.

Sources

Photo: Francis Franklin, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aythya nyroca at Martin Mere 1.jpg

Text: Wikipedia (English) + GBIF regional observations + Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0; GBIF occurrence data; Wikipedia: CC BY-SA 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferruginous_duck

See also