Common Pochard

Pochard is a name used used for several species of diving ducks. While in Kaziranga NP in Assam, India I got a photo of one common pochard, among a group of other ducks, just off the perimeter road while driving to the far western Burapahar Range. 

My one poor photo of a common pochard among some tufted ducks. 

The common pochard looks a lot like the canvasback. The male has a chestnut colored head and neck, a black breast and tail and a pale gray back marked with fine vermiculations (resembling the track of a worm). The bill is dark gray with a blue-gray band across the middle. The iris is yellow-orange to red. 

Illustrations of a male common pochard (and a female below) from Birds of the World. 

This range map from Birds of the World shows that the common pochard is widely found through Europe, Asia and Africa and is migratory.