Birds by Name – P
Pacific Black Duck
The Pacific Black Duck, Anas superciliosa, is a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and on many islands in the south-western Pacific.
The Pacific Black Duck grows up to around 60 centimetres in length. It has a dark body, a pale greyish neck, a dark crown and stripes, or flashes, on its face.
Often sharing the same territory as Mallards, there has been a lot of cross-breeding or hybridisation, as is often the case when Mallards are about.
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Anatinae
Genus: Anas
Species: A. superciliosa
Pochard
The Pochard, Aythya ferina, is a medium-sized diving duck found in lakes and marshes with a water depth in excess of one metre..
The adult male has a long dark bill with a grey band, a red head and neck, a black breast, red eyes and a grey back. The adult female is a bit less distinctive with a brown head and body and a narrower grey band on the bill. However, the triangular shape of the head makes them stand out from the crowd.
Pochards are migratory and generally winter in the south and west of Europe. They feed mainly by diving or dabbling, eating aquatic plants, molluscs, aquatic insects and small fish.
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Aythyinae
Genus: Aythya
Species: A. ferina
Puffin
The Puffin, Fratercula arctica, is an auk in the Alcidae family and is quite distinctive with its multi-coloured beak.
It has a black back, white underparts, black head with pale cheeks and a sort of flattened, brightly-coloured bill. It also has red and black eye-markings and bright orange legs. The beak does become duller at the end of the breeding season as the Puffin sheds the outer part.
The Puffin spends most of the time at sea and they are primarily diving birds.
They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, making their nests in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil.
They eat fish.
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Fratercula
Species: F. arctica
