Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca)

The Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) belongs to the family of swans, geese and ducks (Anatidae). It is a medium-sized waterfowl with a relatively short body (long 38 ÷ 42 [cm], wingspan of 67 ÷ 75 [cm]), with a long neck and beak and a distinctly protruding forehead and raised apex. The flight features a wide, pure white stripe that extends from the base to the tip of the wing. In adult sexually mature males, the entire plumage is dark chestnut in color - darker on the back and lighter on the sides, except under the tail (cloacal region) and abdomen, which are white. There is a narrow, black band around the neck, and the eye is white. In adult sexually mature females the plumage is dark brown with reddish hues on the head. The part under the tail is white, while the eye is dark. The color of the feathers in young is similar to that of adult females, but the colors are faded, while the eyes are dark.   The Ferruginous Duck nests in eutrophic lakes and swamps with large enough open water areas (deeper than 1 [m]). This bird nests mainly in southwest Asia, central and eastern Europe, and northern Africa. The nesting area overlaps with the nesting area, but also covers the Middle East, northeastern and western Africa, and southeastern Asia. The population in Eastern Europe is estimated at around 36,000 to 54,000 birds. In the last 150 years the territory where this bird is found has fluctuated significantly, but overall it is declining, especially in Europe. In R.N. Macedonia, the Ferruginous Duck rarely nests in Lakes Dojran, Ohrid and Prespa, and in most numbers it successfully nests in larger fishponds. Several nesting pairs have been observed in NP Ezerani. There are two other species of the genus Aythya present in NP Ezerani: the Pochard (Aythya ferina) and the Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula). During the winter season in NP Ezerani, a large number of birds of these two species fly from the north to spend the winter, but individual pairs have been spotted nesting in former fishponds. The Ferruginous Duck is listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive and Annex III of the Bern Convention, while in R.N. Macedonia has the status of protected species. Aythya nyroca, Aythya fuligula, Aythya ferina.