Red-crested Pochard

Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) is a large diving duck whose male has a rounded orange head, coral-red bill, black breast and pale flanks. The combination of body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provides the most useful field characters. Age, sex and season can alter its appearance, so identification should use several features rather than colour alone. This supports comparison with similar species in the field (Wikipedia, general species account).

It frequents reed-fringed lakes and lagoons, feeding largely on aquatic vegetation by diving and upending. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds more likely to gather where food is concentrated. The Korean vertebrate catalogue used for this guide records the species in South Korea (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Korea occurrence records).