Pochard Call MP3s
Once a widely hunted diving duck across Europe and Asia, the Common Pochard has declined sharply enough to be classed Vulnerable by the IUCN, and several countries have suspended or tightened hunting as a result. These recordings are best used for identification, decoy work or personal listening.
Also known as
Recordings (4)
About this species
A duck of the Anatidae family measuring roughly 46 cm, the Pochard (Aythya ferina) is unmistakable — the drake combining a rich rufous-red head with a pale grey body and black breast. It dives on deeper lakes, large reservoirs and sheltered coastal bays.
The displaying drake produces a curious, wheezing, far-carrying call. It dives for the roots, shoots and seeds of water plants, supplemented by small animals. It dives repeatedly from the surface, vanishing for long seconds at a time. Its far-ranging populations link the breeding lakes of northern Europe with the wintering wetlands of the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Legal use
The Common Pochard is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to significant population declines across its European and Asian range, and this has led to a temporary hunting moratorium or suspension in several EU countries (including a multi-year ban along parts of its western flyway, plus outright bans in some individual states) while a coordinated harvest-management plan is developed; other countries still permit limited, tightly regulated hunting. The species remains formally listed among huntable species under the EU Birds Directive in some member states even where national moratoriums are in force, and the UK and other AEWA parties are obliged to prohibit hunting given its conservation status. Given this patchwork of active bans, moratoriums and restricted seasons, you should treat Pochard very differently from common ducks like Mallard for hunting purposes and confirm current status in your specific country before using this call in a hunting context. See our full country-by-country disclaimer for the latest details, as rules for this species are changing faster than for most other quarry ducks.