Kolbenente Thurgau

The red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) is a diving duck that reaches a body length of roughly 45 to 55 centimetres. In breeding plumage the drake is unmistakable: a thick, rusty to fox-red head with a puffed-up, mane-like crest, a vivid coral to scarlet bill, a black breast and white flanks. The female is largely brownish with distinctly pale, almost whitish cheeks, which separates her reliably from the similarly brown females of related diving ducks such as the common pochard or the tufted duck. Compared with these species both sexes appear more compact and noticeably big-headed.

The red-crested pochard favours nutrient-rich, larger standing waters with extensive reed belts and a dense growth of submerged vegetation. Typical habitats are shallow to moderately deep lakes, oxbows and large pond systems with rich stands of stoneworts and pondweeds, which form a substantial share of the bird's largely plant-based diet. Unlike most diving ducks the species frequently feeds by dabbling like a surface duck as well. The contiguous breeding range lies in Central Asia, while the European range is patchy and centred on the western Mediterranean.

In Central Europe the red-crested pochard is a comparatively recent breeding bird. The expansion wave started from the Camargue in southern France and spread northwards through France into the Alpine region and southern Germany. Since then the species has formed part of the regular breeding avifauna of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with strongholds on Lake Constance and other large pre-Alpine lakes. The wintering populations on Lake Constance, Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Lucerne are today among the internationally important resting sites for the species. Globally the bird is classified as least concern by the IUCN, yet it remains scarce in Germany and is listed on several regional Red Lists. Under the German Federal Hunting Act it is formally a quarry species but carries a year-round closed season and may therefore not be hunted. A confident identification and a clear distinction from other diving ducks are accordingly indispensable in the field.