RED-CRESTED POCHARD 107 



Daily Movements. Like other diving ducks Red-crests feed principally in the 

 morning and afternoon with an inactive period in the middle of the day. Whether or 

 not they commonly feed by night it is difficult to say, but Hume and Marshall (1879) 

 seem to think that this is the case, especially where their day-time quarters happen 

 to be on waters that yield little food. Hume adds that only on dull, cold, cloudy days 

 has he seen them active during the noon hours. 



Gait, Swimming, Diving. This Pochard is more of a land bird than the Com- 

 mon Pochard, is often found on the water's edge, and occasionally will even graze on 

 land. Captive specimens show well the marked difference in this respect between 

 this and other Pochards or Scaups. Many observers have noted the peculiarity of 

 their attitude. The body is carried more horizontally than in other fuliguline ducks, 

 and the bird walks not only with greater ease, but with less of a roll (Naumann, 

 1896-1905; Finn, 1915; Millais, 1913). 



The swimming attitude is not particularly characteristic; the tail is carried low or 

 dragging in the water. 



Some of the older observers (Legge, 1880; Dresser, 1871-81) thought that this duck 

 obtained all its food without diving. It is true that in confinement it takes on all the 

 feeding habits of a true shoal-water duck, but in the wild state most of its food, at 

 least in winter, is obtained by diving. It may perhaps be true that it is not able to 

 remain so long under water as a Common Scaup and probably cannot feed at extreme 

 depths. In many of their shallow feeding grounds diving is unnecessary. Poncins 

 (1910), who made a close study of a breeding colony of these birds in northern 

 France, describes their diving as smooth and easy, and without the preliminary for- 

 ward toss of the head. He says their movements in diving are slow and supple. 

 Under water the wings are used, but only slowly and intermittently. Their speed 

 under water is rapid and they easily change their direction. One observer noticed 

 what he thought was their inability to stay under water for more than a few seconds 

 when feeding among Coots, but undoubtedly this was in shallow water where long 

 dives were unnecessary. Millais (1913) estimates the extreme duration of a dive at 

 thirty seconds. Both Hume and Marshall (1879) and Baker (1921) who had ex- 

 ceptional opportunities to observe large numbers, consider them active and agile 

 divers, capable of supplying themselves with food at considerable depths. 



Flight. They rise from the water with some effort, as do all diving ducks, but 

 the flight is strong and rapid, producing a faint whistling sound. Hume and Marshall 

 (1879) say they could generally distinguish this species from the Common Pochard 

 by the "wing rustle," but that sometimes they were deceived. In Europe and the 

 Mediterranean countries, where this duck is sporadic and rare, small flocks or even 

 single birds are the rule, though in Provence large flocks have been seen (Aptel, 



