Habitat
Breeds on coastal marshes, lagoons and river valleys with open water and plenty of reeds and other vegetation. Also shallow lakes, estuaries and coastal inlets at other times.
Afghanistan (P), Albania (B) (NB) (P), Algeria, Armenia, Austria (B), Azerbaijan (B) (P), Bangladesh, Belgium (B) (P), Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Bulgaria (B) (NB) (P), Cape Verde, Chad, China (mainland), Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B) (NB) (P), Cyprus (NB) (P), Czech Republic (B), Denmark (B) (P), Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France (B) (NB) (P), Gambia, Germany (B), Greece (B) (NB) (P), Guinea-bissau, Hong Kong (China), Hungary (B) (P), India, Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B) (NB) (P), Iraq (B), Israel (P), Italy (B) (NB) (P), Japan, Jordan (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan (P), Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB), Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Moldova [Republic of] (B), Mongolia (B), Montenegro (B) (NB) (P), Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands Antilles (B) (NB) (P), North Korea (NB), Oman, Pakistan, Portugal (B) (NB) (P), Qatar, Romania (B) (P), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B) (P), Saudi Arabia (B) (NB), Senegal, Serbia (B) (NB) (P), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B), Slovenia, Somalia, South Korea, Spain (B) (NB) (P), Sri Lanka (NB), Sudan, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan (China), Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia (NB), Turkey (B) (NB) (P), Turkmenistan (B), Ukraine (B), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (B) (P), Uzbekistan (B), Western Sahara, Yemen (B) (NB) (P).
Vagrant to Bahrain, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland (NB), Latvia, Luxembourg, Maldives, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Russia (Central Asian), Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda.
Population
Estimated population is 66,000 - 140,000 (2010).
Status LC
Habitat degradation through drainage and pollution, over-fishing, egg collecting and avian influenza are the main threats.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Food
Water plants, small fish, tadpoles, frog-spawn, water-snails, warm, insect larvae.
Voice
Mostly silent. Occasional deep grunting and non-vocal bill snapping at the nest.
Asian populations have been assigned separate subspecies, major, but doubtfully valid.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758 - Southern Spain, Holland and south-eastern Europe to central and eastern Asia, extending south to Persian Gulf, India and Sri Lanka. Winters in western and eastern Africa and south-eastern China.
balsaci Naurois & Roux, 1974 - Islands off coast of Mauritania.
archeri Neumann, 1928 - Coasts of Red Sea and Somalia.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet