Hull urban birds. 2. Wintering Pochards

In the Hull area the Common Pochard is a regular wintering duck in small numbers. A very distinctive species, the drake has a chestnut colour head with red eyes, a silver back, while belly and black chest and rump. It is regarded as globally vulnerable by the IUCN since 2015, it was also upgraded from Amber to Red in the UK due to strong recent rapid declines in the breeding and wintering population and distribution range. 

Mirroring global trends, the Pochard in the Hull area has gone from being a common wintering species in the 90s to a scarce species. It is present from October to March. At East Park, the stronghold in the area, between 40 and 50 individuals used to be present in the 90s, but the last 5-year average is of 11 birds. Of note is a single breeding record at East Park in 1996. Small numbers still use Bransholme Reservoir, Oak Road Lake. A single bird winters at Pickering Park. Wintering also occurs on the Humber estuary. All photos were taken and East Park and Pickering Park.

Three drake Pochards at East Park (23rd Nov 2020).

 Pochard is often associated to Tufted Ducks, also diving ducks with a similar diet. There is a strongly biased sex ratio, with many more males than females, as the latter migrate further south than males. Females are only occasionally seen in the Hull area.

A sleeping drake Pochard at East Park (20 Oct 2020). Pochard sleep or eat at any time of the day and night. 

A rare female Pochard at East Park (18 Feb 2015).

The only drake at Pickering Park (8 Dec 2020).

Preening drake, East Park 12 Feb 2018.

Preening drake on an East Park island (17 Dec 2018).

Why the decline?

The Pochard appeared to be scarce in the late 19th century, then increased colonising northern and western European countries, as nutrient rich wetlands (water reservoirs, quarry lakes, flood defence wetlands, fish ponds) were created. The species breeding success appears to be higher when breeding in Black-headed gull colonies, where it may benefit from gull defence against predation. Recent changes in fish pond management and species present (e.g. carp), predation from introudced mink, and declines in gull numbers could at least partly explain the declines. Given this, and the fact that local changes haven't probably affected the Hull wintering population, which mostly comes from Eastern Europe, management of the Hull wintering areas - other than the current maintenance of the occupied sites - is unlikely to led to local increase in numbers. 

More information

Pochard. BTO Bird facts.

Broughton, Richard K. Birds of the Hull Area.
Fox, Anthony D., A. Caicergues, M. V. Banik, Koen Devos, M. Dvorak, M. Ellermaa, B. Folliot, Andy J. Green, C. Grünenberg, and Matthieu Guillemain. 2016. "Recent changes in the abundance of Common Pochard Aythya ferina breeding in Europe." Wildfowl, 66: 22-40.