The Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) is a deep russet brown, the colour of iron rust (ferruginous) which gives it its name. It is a small diving duck which mostly feeds at night, and will upend, or dabble, for food as well as dive. It breeds in southern and eastern Europe and southern and western Asia and feeds mainly on aquatic plants with some mollusks, aquatic insects and small fish. The Ferruginous duck is regarded as vulnerable in Europe, its breeding population being estimated at less than 18,000 pairs.
