🐦

Southern Pochard

Netta erythrophthalma

Least Concern

Wingspan

41.6 cm

Weight

820.8 g

Family

Anatidae

Order

Anseriformes

On this page

About

A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a dark chestnut-brown head and body with a white eye-ring and red eye; females are brown with white facial crescent. Found in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Nomadic in Africa; follows water availability.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	41.6 cm	16.4 in
Weight	820.8 g	28.95 oz

Identification

Plumage

Males deep brown with iridescent black head and red eye; pale blue-gray bill with dark tip. Females brown with pale face and pale crescent behind eye. White wing stripe in flight. African and South American populations.

Habitat & Range

Freshwater and brackish lakes, pans, and marshes in sub-Saharan Africa and separately in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador. Nomadic in Africa; follows seasonal flooding.

🌿 Wetland

Geographic Range

Breeds across northern North America; winters along both coasts, the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean Basin.

Diet & Feeding

Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; eats hard-shelled prey; diet shifts with coastal habitat use.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: CP,SC. Incubation: 20-28 days. Fledging: 56-65 days.

Clutch Size

5-15

Sound

Song

Male gives a harsh, buzzy churr; female produces a series of resonant quacks. The male's buzzy display call is subdued; the female's loud, emphatic quacking dominates African wetland sounds.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Family	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Netta
Species	Netta erythrophthalma

Distribution

Southern Pochard has been recorded in 6 countries.

{# Distribution Map — simplified SVG world map with highlighted countries. Expects `country_codes` variable: list of ISO alpha-2 codes (e.g. ["US", "CA", "MX"]). Uses Alpine.js to toggle classes on country paths. #}

Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇻🇪 Venezuela

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Southern Pochard eat?

Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; eats hard-shelled prey; diet shifts with coastal habitat use.

Where does the Southern Pochard live?

Freshwater and brackish lakes, pans, and marshes in sub-Saharan Africa and separately in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador. Nomadic in Africa; follows seasonal flooding.

Is the Southern Pochard endangered?

The Southern Pochard has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Southern Pochard nest?

Nest type: CP,SC. Incubation: 20-28 days. Fledging: 56-65 days.

What does the Southern Pochard sound like?

Male gives a harsh, buzzy churr; female produces a series of resonant quacks. The male's buzzy display call is subdued; the female's loud, emphatic quacking dominates African wetland sounds.

How big is the Southern Pochard?

The Southern Pochard has a wingspan of 41.6 cm, weight of 820.8 g.

What order and family does the Southern Pochard belong to?

The Southern Pochard (Netta erythrophthalma) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.