Wildlife

Wild Pochard Duck Welfare

Pochards are diving ducks whose UK wintering numbers have declined significantly with welfare shaped by aquatic plant and invertebrate availability.

Key Facts

Pochard declined by 58% as a wintering species in the UK
Aquatic macrophytes and invertebrates are their primary food
Eutrophication reduces water clarity and aquatic plant communities
Pochard are threatened by hybridisation with ferruginous duck
Managed lakes and gravel pits provide important wintering habitat

Welfare Considerations

Pochards in eutrophied turbid lakes with depleted aquatic vegetation cannot find adequate food. Water quality improvement through phosphate reduction directly improves pochard welfare.

What You Can Do

Support lake and gravel pit management for wintering waterfowl
Advocate for water quality improvement reducing eutrophication
Donate to wildfowl conservation and wetland management