Small game - birds

Hooded Puffer (Aythya fuligula)

The hooded grebe (Aythya fuligula) is a representative of the Duck family, Goose order, with medium sizes and a dense build. It weighs between 500 and 1400 g. Body length 40–47 cm, wingspan about 72 cm. Pronounced sexual dimorphism. It swims and dives well, staying under water for about 30-40 s on average. Takes off heavily, flies rapidly and noisily. Relatively widespread in Europe and Asia, it is also found in Bulgaria. A typical migratory bird. It winters in the southern parts of Europe, Asia and in northern Africa. Inhabits freshwater lakes, swamps or slow-flowing rivers densely overgrown with aquatic vegetation. It is common in the deltas of large rivers. It feeds mainly on animal food: small molluscs, insect larvae, crustaceans, small fish. It searches for its food usually at a depth of 3–4 m, but sometimes dives up to 14 m. A monogamous bird. Pairs are formed in winter. It chooses large lakes or other bodies of water for nesting. The nest is always built in the immediate vicinity of the water, often on small islands or piles of old reeds. It lays from 3 to 20 dirty greenish eggs measuring 59 x 41 mm and weighing an average of 56 g. Moults 23–28 days, female only. The young hatch sufficiently developed to be able to move and feed independently.