Red-crested pochard, <em>Netta rufina</em>, breeding population in Piedmont (North Western Italy)

Abstract

[The breeding of the Red-crested pochard in Piedmont is known since 2006, when it was first described in a pond near the town of Asti. Data were collected from specific databases and from field observations performed in 3 sites located in the Asti province and 2 sites in the Cuneo province, all of them placed along the Tanaro riversides. A further site is located in the province of Alessandria near the Po river along the border of Lombardy. On the whole, in the time span 2006-2019 the number of breeding pairs increased from 2 to a maximum of 7 per year. A total of 64 females with 326 chicks were recorded (average 5.1/female), June being the most favorable month for reproduction. Results point to the occurrence of a seemingly stable small breeding population. The lack of any kind of legal site protection, the anthropogenic disturbance (hunting, fishing, abandoning wastes), and the loss of the ideal habitat for reproduction are among the critical threats for the maintenance of a vital breeding population. There was a probable case of nest parasitism by Mallard duck, which is seldom observed since the opposite situation seems to be more common.]
 
 [Article in Italian]