Netta erythrophthalma
The Southern Pochard, *Netta erythrophthalma*, is a distinctive medium-sized diving duck, captivating birders with its elegant, somewhat secretive nature. Males (drakes) are particularly striking, boasting brilliant ruby-red eyes set against a glossy black head and neck, with a dark brownish-black body and a contrasting white speculum visible in flight. Females (hens) present a more subdued but equally identifiable appearance, characterized by dark brown plumage, a dark cap, and prominent whi...
Primarily inhabiting shallow to moderately deep freshwater wetlands, including permanent and temporary ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow-moving rivers, often with abundant emergent and submerged vegetation. It can be found from sea level up to high altitudes of 4000 meters in the Andean regions.
The diet consists mainly of seeds, roots, and vegetative parts of aquatic plants, supplemented by aquatic invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, and mollusks, obtained primarily through diving.
Southern Pochards are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging and often roosting on open water or within dense shoreline vegetation. Their foraging strategy predominantly involves diving, sometimes for extended periods, to consume submerged aquatic plants and invertebrates. While generally...
The Southern Pochard exhibits a remarkable disjunct distribution, with two distinct populations separated by the Atlantic Ocean. The African population spans much of sub-Saharan Africa, from South Africa north through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and parts of East Africa including Ethiopia, Kenya,...
Least Concern
- The male Southern Pochard's striking ruby-red eye is a key distinguishing feature and gives rise to its alternative common name, 'Red-eyed Pochard. - This species holds the unique distinction of having a disjunct distribution across two continents: sub-Saharan Africa and South America. - Unlike...