Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina

There are three categories of Red-crested Pochards which occur in a wild state in the UK: escapes from captivity, ferally breeding birds and genuine vagrants from Europe. Unfortunately for any one individual found in the wild, working out which of the categories it fits into is usually impossible so proving you've seen a genuinely wild vagrant here is a hopeless task.

The pair shown in the first set of photos below became the first ever pair of Red-crested Pochards to breed in Norfolk.

Red-crested Pochard, Titchwell, 20-Mar-09 Red-crested Pochard, Titchwell, 20-Mar-09
Red-crested Pochard, Titchwell, 20-Mar-09 Red-crested Pochard, Titchwell, 20-Mar-09
Red-crested Pochard, Titchwell, 20-Mar-09 Red-crested Pochard, Titchwell, 20-Mar-09
Red-crested Pochard, Titchwell, 20-Mar-09 Red-crested Pochard, Titchwell, 20-Mar-09

male and female Red-crested Pochards, Titchwell (Norfolk, UK), 20th March 2009

 

Red-crested Pochard, Quinta do Lago, 15-Apr-06 Red-crested Pochard, Quinta do Lago, 15-Apr-06

female Red-crested Pochard, Quinta do Lago (Algarve, Portugal), 15th April 2006

 

male Red-crested Pochard, Quinta do Lago (Algarve, Portugal), 15th April 2006

 

Red-crested Pochard, Blakeney, 18-Jan-04

juvenile (left), eclipse male (centre) and leucistic female (right) Red-crested Pochards, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 27th August 2007

 

Red-crested Pochard, Blakeney, 16-May-09 Red-crested Pochard, Blakeney, 16-May-09

captive male and female Red-crested Pochards, Blakeney collection (Norfolk, UK), 16th May 2009

 

Red-crested Pochard, Blakeney, 18-Jan-04 Red-crested Pochard, Martin Mere, 28-Dec-03

captive male Red-crested Pochard, Blakeney collection (Norfolk, UK), 18th January 2004

 

captive Red-crested Pochards (and White-headed Duck), Martin Mere (Lancashire, UK), 28th December 2003