Netta Rufina
Critically endangered species in Croatia, nest numbers range between 25-40 pairs per year.
The red-crested pochard (lat. Netta rufina) is a large diving duck.
It is 45-55 cm long and weighs 800-1500 g. The wingspan is 90 cm. The male has very characteristic feathers, reddish-brown in color, which looks like a thick hairstyle on his head. His eyes are red. The chest and abdomen are black, the hips are white, and the back and wings are brown. The female has brown feathers. The hips and neck are slightly lighter than the back.
The upper part of the head is dark brown and the cheeks are light gray. The beak is dark brown and covered with a red stripe. Light gray cheeks and a red stripe on the beak are the main elements distinguishing females of the mallard duck from females of other duck species. This duck feeds mainly on seaweed and algae. Also, snails, larvae of aquatic insects and other invertebrates can be found in the diet, but their share in the diet is very small. It seeks food mainly in shallow water, which is up to four meters deep.
The lifespan of the Gogol duck is about seven years. The population of this bird is 420,000-440,000 individuals. According to the IUCN, the species status is LC (reduced risk). Its main threats are habitat degradation and hunting. Deterioration of wetland quality can cause the disappearance of the alga Nitellopsis obtusa, which is an important part of the diet of this bird. The mallard duck is also susceptible to the flu virus.
In Croatia, the first nesting was recorded in 1987 at the Sloboština fishponds near Okučani. Since 1991, about 5 pairs have been nesting regularly at the Draganić ponds, at the Jelas ponds since 1989, and the population has grown to 15 pairs. Two pairs nested in Međimurje in 2008 (and in 2009 on the Sava-Odra canal near Lučko. The total nesting population is estimated at 25-40 pairs. There are few for migrating and wintering in Croatia
They nest in shallow or medium-deep waters with lush coastal and underwater vegetation: in vast swamps, on slow-flowing rivers, lakes, carp ponds, and sometimes in small ponds. In the western Baltic, they also nest in brackish coastal waters. Outside the nesting season, in wintering grounds, they are often in large flocks. Lonely pairs tend to nest, less often in loose groups. Sometimes they nest in colonies of gulls and terns. They are monogamous, the pair lasts a little longer than in other ducks, the male stays with the female and keeps the nest until the end of the incubation, sometimes following the female and young. The nest is on the ground in dense vegetation, near the water’s edge. The female builds the nest herself, lays eggs and takes care of the young.
It is protected by the Nature Protection Act and is also internationally protected by the Bonn Convention (Annex II), the Berne Convention (Annex III) and the Birds Directive (Annex II-B). About 72% of the total Croatian population of the mallard duck nests within five important areas for birds of the Ecological Network of the Republic of Croatia.