Order:
Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Netta rufina
Red-crested Pochard / Pato colorado
Maximum size: 56 cm
Habitat
They live in lagoons, dams, salty-water ponds and pools, fish farms,
or marshes. They are more abundant in lagoons and wetlands in the centre
and the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in winter. They are often seen
in the company of the ferruginous pochard and the shoveller.
They feed on aquatic vegetation. They present sexual dimorphism. Males
have a reddish head, changing to intense red and a coral-red beak during
the mating period. Females are light-brown and have a reddish beak, but
without reaching the intensity of the males.
Although they can be seen in Doñana all through the year, it
is spring-time when they can be seen in all the wetlands.
Translated
by FELIPE BENAVIDES
