Common Pochard

Common Pochard, St. James Park, London, 4/8/10.

While exploring St. James Park in London last April, we saw many ducks that I initially thought were Canvasbacks (Below), but later learned that they are Common Pochards (Above), fairly common in Europe, and related to Northern America's Canvasbacks and Redheads. As you can see in the photos how similar they are to eachother.

A Canvasback; Phoenix, Arizona; 12/29/09.

The Common Pochrd's breeding habitat is marshes and lakes that are a yard or more deep. Pochards breed in much of temperate and northern Europe into Asia. They are migratory, and winter in the southern and west of Europe.These are very social birds and form large flocks in winter, often mixed with other diving ducks, such as Tufted Ducks (future post 12/19), which they are known to hybridise with.