Red-crested pochard Red-crested pochard The red-crested pochard ("Netta rufina") is a large diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek "Netta" "duck", and Latin "rufina", "golden-red" (from "rufus", "ruddy"). Its breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe and Central Asia, wintering in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa. It is somewhat migratory, and northern birds winter further south into north Africa. The adult male is unmistakable. It has a rounded orange head, red bill and black breast. The flanks are white, the back brown, and the tail black. The female is mainly a pale brown, with a darker back
Bird flight Bird flight Bird flight is the primary mode of locomotion used by most bird species in which birds take off and fly. Flight assists birds while feeding, breeding, avoiding predators, and migrating. Bird flight is one of the most complex forms of locomotion in the animal kingdom. Each facet of this type of motion, including hovering, taking off, and landing, involves many complex movements. As different bird species have adapted to specific environments, prey, predators, and other needs, they have developed varied forms of wings and varied forms of flight. Research into how birds fly has yielded various theories as