Red-crested Pochard 
" They are very suspicious and timid, and on large waters keep away from human beings as much 
as possible, first by swimming, then by flying, but like soon to come back to the first place. On, 
small pieces of water and when driven up to unusual places, on the other hand, they are not at all timid, 
probably out of nervousness. They at the same time like to keep together, and are all the more timid the 
more there are together ; it is only solitary birds which are less wild. But their gregariousness is seldom 
extended to other species, and even if they mingle with others whilst they are busied in swimming, it is. 
noticed when they fly away that they like to part company with the strangers, and so solitary specimens- 
are much oftener met with quite alone than amongst other duck. Large flocks of these duck always keep- 
together, and if they are forcibly divided they fly restlessly about until they have joined the flock again. 
On a large expanse of water this happens, as a rule, at the same place at which they were first seen." 
Their food consists chiefly of vegetable matter, but they also eat quantities of insects, 
shellfiish, fish, frogs, and spawn. Stuart Baker says that in the Sunderbunds they feed on 
the tiny red crabs that swarm in the rivers and swamps, and that although nearly purely 
aquatic in their feeding, they have been known to feed on " young crops on dry land." 
They feed both by day and night, but generally in the early morning and at sunset,, 
resting and preening during the warm hours of the day. 
Naumann says :- — 
"These duck like to feed on tender roots, buds, shoots, the tips of leaves, flowers and seeds of 
various kinds of plants growing rampant at the bottom of the water — thus on any kinds of Potamogeton, 
of Myriophyllum and Ceratophyllum. As the last-named grow in a considerable depth of water, shooting 
up high towards the surface, and often form thick green plantations under the water, such places in the 
pool are the favourite haunt of these duck. They are continually diving down in search of such under- 
growth, and occasionally, in addition to the vegetable food, they catch the living creatures to be found 
on them. In places where this undergrowth approaches nearer to the surface, they attempt to get at 
it by merely tipping up the hinder part of the body and reaching for it by stretching the neck down 
vertically. They also fish for much which they enjoy when merely swimming on the surface, but they 
employ the last two methods less often than that of diving under completely for their food. For this 
reason they like deep water, and come extremely seldom to the bank for the sake of getting food. 
" Along with the above-mentioned substances their stomachs always contain a quantity of sand and 
small pebbles the size of peas." 
The usual call generally uttered by the female is a harsh "kurr," and is not often 
emitted except in moments of excitement. Hume says the male utters a ''sharp sibilant 
note— a sort of whistle," but does not state at what season he has heard it. This note 
is commonly uttered by the male in courtship, but I have never heard it at other times. 
The Red-crested Pochards arrive at their breeding-places at the end of March or early 
in April, but the females do not begin making their nests till the end of the latter month. 
The courtship of the male is somewhat showy but not very varied. It throws up the body 
from the water, depressing the bill to the fore part of the neck, and at the same time 
displaying, ie. erecting and spreading the whole of the beautiful feathers of the crest, the 
body raised to about an angle of 75°. During this sudden act of show the bird utters 
a low squeaking whistle, and as the body falls to the water again the crest resumes its 
normal position, and, releasing the air in the chest, it utters a low grunt or groan. Some- 
times when in full show the male will frequently swim round the female with depressed 
bill and expanded crest, but beyond this I have seen no other efforts at display. The female 
resorts to attitudes similar to the other diving species, such as swimming round the male 
with lowered body and extended head and neck held out along the water. She also 
frequently utters her harsh guttural cry at this season. 
