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The Common pochard (Aythya ferina) is a bird found in Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Spain, and 2 more countries. Lakes and wetlands across Europe and Asia. It eats leaves and other plant parts, seeds and nuts and insects and other small invertebrates. The IUCN Red List lists it as Vulnerable.

🏡 Where the Common pochard lives

Lakes and wetlands across Europe and Asia.

🍽️ What it eats

• 🌿 Leaves & plants50%
• 🌰 Seeds & nuts20%
• 🐛 Insects & bugs10%
• 🦎 Reptiles & frogs10%
• 🐟 Fish10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

Hear the Common pochard

Recorded by Maurizio Sighele (maudoc) (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC993069. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the Common pochard

Where does the Common pochard live?

The Common pochard lives in Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Spain, and 2 more countries. Lakes and wetlands across Europe and Asia.

What does the Common pochard eat?

leaves and other plant parts (about 50%), seeds and nuts (about 20%), insects and other small invertebrates (about 10%), reptiles and frogs (about 10%), fish (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Common pochard endangered?

Getting rare. It needs our help. Its IUCN Red List category is Vulnerable.

More birds from Europe

• Redpoll
• Redwing
• Common crane
• Common merganser
• Red kite
• White-tailed eagle

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.