Ferruginous duck

This is one of the stranger names for a duck, but "ferruginous" simply means "rust-coloured". The name is certainly more memorable than the scientific name, which is Aythya nyroca.

The ferruginous duck is a diving duck that is found mostly in Asia and eastern Europe, although it winters in western Europe and north Africa. Four main breeding populations have been identified. Wintering populations are found on the estuaries and wetlands of south-east England. However, it is a rare bird, and its numbers have declined in recent years. It is protected in several countries, including Hungary and Romania.


Appearance

It is a small bird for a duck, measuring about 16 inches (39-43 cm) in length. The head and body are a rich chestnut colour, although the female is duller and browner than the male. The male has distinctive white eyes, whereas the female's eyes are black. The wings are dark grey and white, and in flight the ferruginous duck can be mistaken for a tufted duck. They have white tails and white bellies.

The white eyes of the males were the reason why the duck was originally called the white-eyed pochard, and indeed the species are quite closely related and can interbreed.


Behaviour

Ferruginous ducks live on shallow fresh water that is well provided with vegetation, and they feed on water plants and invertebrates. They both dive and dabble (that is, feed from the surface or just underneath). They often feed at night.


Breeding

The duck breeds during April and May. The female builds a well-hidden nest from grass, leaves and reeds and lines it with down. She lays 8-10 eggs which she incubates for about 25 days. The ducklings are fledged at around 50-60 days and are sexually mature within a year.

The males often desert the females during incubation, and will probably mate with a different female the following year.


Conservation

The problems with the European populations have been largely due to loss of habitat, especially with wetlands being drained for agriculture. Efforts are being made to preserve the species in several countries.

For example, in Hungary there has been a project to encourage ferruginous ducks to breed on islands in fishponds, where they have been hunted in the past. The ducks are able to share these breeding grounds with seagulls and terns. This benefits the ducks because terns are particularly aggressive towards predators, and they therefore act as guardians of the ducks' nests as well as their own.

Without such protection, duck populations have been under considerable pressure, as nesting sites not on islands are liable to destruction by foxes and wild boar. Illegal hunting has also been a problem, for example in Greece.

It is to be hoped that the accession of eastern European countries to the European Union, which gives them access to funds to help them preserve their wildlife resources, will help their populations of ferruginous ducks to reverse their decline.

 

© John Welford