Subspecies
Monotypic species
Genus
Netta is a genus of diving ducks. Unlike other diving ducks, the Netta species are reluctant to dive, and feed more like dabbling ducks. These are gregarious ducks, mainly found on fresh water. They are strong fliers; their broad, blunt-tipped wings require faster wing-beats than those of many ducks and they take off with some difficulty. They do not walk as well on land as the dabbling ducks because their legs tend to be placed further back on their bodies to help propel them when underwater. The probably extinct Pink-headed Duck, previously listed as Rhodonessa caryophyllacea, has recently been shown by phylogenetic analysis to be closely related to the Red-crested Pochard, so has now been transferred to the same genus, as Netta caryophyllacea. However, this has been questioned due to numerous and pronounced peculiarities of that species.
Physical charateristics
Juvenile resembles female, but top of head more brownish. Whitish eye-stripe less pronounced. Body coloration lighter brown..
Listen to the sound of Southern Pochard
[audio:http://www.planetofbirds.com/MASTER/ANSERIFORMES/Anatidae/sounds/Southern Pochard.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
wingspan min.: | 0 | cm | wingspan max.: | 0 | cm |
size min.: | 50 | cm | size max.: | 53 | cm |
incubation min.: | 26 | days | incubation max.: | 28 | days |
fledging min.: | 54 | days | fledging max.: | 28 | days |
broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 5 | ||
eggs max.: | 15 |
Range
Habitat
Shallow marshes, lakes and pools with abundant submerged vegetation up to 3600 m in South America.
Reproduction
5-15 eggs. Incubation 26-28 days. Chicks have olive brown above, yellow on underparts and face. Fledging 56 days.
Feeding habits
Feeds by diving, head-dipping and upending, and by dabbling on surface, often at water’s edge.
Video Southern Pochard
copyright: Joe Angseesing
Conservation
The Southern Pochard has a fragmented range and is found from Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina to Chile. Here it occurs in a wide variety of shallow fresh waters with submerged vegetation, from the lowlands up to 3,700 meter.