Adult Male:
- Summer Plumage: Head and upper neck reddish-brown. Lower neck, upper back, chest, flanks, and uppertail coverts blackish-brown. Mid-back, scapulars, upperwing, and sides white. Lower breast and belly white. Undertail coverts blackish-brown. Primary flight feathers grayish-brown. Wing speculum gray. Tail brown.
- Winter Plumage: Similar to summer plumage but duller, appearing as if washed out with a pale brown tint.
Female:
- Head, neck, upper back, and chest pale rufous-brown, paler around the bill, eyes, and throat, with pale white streaks on the central feathers. Back, scapulars, and sides grayish-brown. Flanks and uppertail coverts pale blackish-brown. Lower breast and belly pale white. Flight feathers pale brown with darker tips. Wing speculum grayish-brown. Wing coverts brown with mottled gray. Tail grayish-brown. Eyes red. Bill bluish-gray with a black base and tip. Legs bluish-gray, with webbing and joints grayish-black.
Measurements:
- Wing (male): 213 – 225 mm, (female): 200 – 215 mm; Tail: 54 – 76 mm; Tarsus: 35 – 39 mm; Bill: 43 – 50 mm.
- Weight (male): 0.67 – 1.10 kg, (female): 0.73 – 1.10 kg.
Distribution:
- The distribution of the Red-crested Pochard encompasses northwestern North America, the temperate regions of Europe, and Asia. In winter, it migrates to southern Europe, North Africa, southern China, India, and Indochina.
- Vietnam: Rare and only recently recorded near Hai Phong.