Found in freshwater lakes of the Afrotropical realm, Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Uncommon and odd, with only males showing a unique, massive dark knob on top of the bill. I have observed a family group in a pond in Arabuko Sokoke National Park, Kenya.

Nomadic and scarce duck found locally in temporary ponds and marshes along a patchy distribution from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to India. This is one of the signature species of some wetlands in Alicante, where it is an uncommon resident undergoing a population reinforcement program.

Breeding locally in well vegetated freshwater wetlands from the Iberian Peninsula to Mongolia north to Germany, migrating to North Africa and the Indian Subcontinent in part of their range. This species can be seen year round in the wetlands in Alicante, where flocks can be particularly numerous in winter.

Migratory in ponds and marshes of Southern and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and through the Sahara in Africa. Males have a distinctive light eye that gives the species the name of white-eyed pochard. Threatened and scarce in Western Europe, small numbers can be seen year-round in wetlands in Alicante. I have also seen this species in winter in Lake Kerkini, Greece.

Old World pochard mostly breeding in marshes and steppes of Northern Europe and Asia and wintering south to Europe, North Africa, the Nile Valley and South Asia. Vulnerable and declining in part of its range. This species occurs in large numbers in wetlands of Alicante in winter. It is a very local summer visitor in the Helsinki area.

Breeds in vegetated wetlands across temperate and cold latitudes of the Old World, migrating to open waters in warmer regions, often in the coast. Both sexes show a tuft on the back of the head, shorter in females. Uncommon but regular winter visitor in Alicante. Resident in wetlands of Helsinki, where some pairs even stay over winter.

Breeds in tundra marshes in the Arctic and migrates south in winter mainly to coastal areas in Japan, coastal North America the Baltic Sea and elsewhere in Europe. I have observed pairs of this species in low densities in lakes of the Varanger Peninsula tundra in Norwegian Lapland.

Highly migratory, breeding across temperate regions of Eurasia from France to North Japan and spending winter in Subsaharan Africa and South Asia. All plumages show an elaborate head plumage pattern. This species is an uncommon passage visitor in Alicante wetlands.

New World duck breeding in marshes and ponds throughout much of North America and migrates south to north Brazil and Ecuador. This species is a regular vagrant to the Western Palearctic, although rare in Mediterranean Spain. I have seen a male in Clot de Galvany, Alicante.

Breeds in lakes throughout the Palearctic and most of western North America and migrates to warm regions during the non-breeding period, south to Equatorial Africa, Southeast Asia or the South American Caribbean. This species has a spatulate bill as some other member of its genus, the shovelers. It is an abundant winter visitor in wetlands of Alicante.

Breeds in marshes and wet grasslands across the Northern Hemisphere, mostly migrating during the non-breeding period. Shy and dull in plumage, showing brilliant white speculums. This species can be seen in small numbers year-round in wetlands of Alicante or Helsinki. I have seen this species beyond their range in Norwegian Lapland in summer.

Breeds in northern latitudes from Iceland and Fennoscandia to Kamchatka in the Russian Far East, migrating to lawns and ponds south to spend the winter elsewhere in the Palearctic — and regulrly wandering to North America. Scarce winter visitor in Alicante. Abundant in lakes and ponds of Helsinki during summer.

Long-distance migrant from lakes in North American taiga to wetlands south to the Caribbean in winter. New World counterpart of the Eurasian wigeon, both of which have a distinctive whistling call. Vagrates regularly to Europe, where I got to see probably the first for Eastern Spain, a male in breeding plumage inland in Cuenca.

Individuals of the Scandinavian population spend the non-breeding period locally between Hungary and Greece, where I have seen the species.

This species migrates in large numbers over Helsinki, where some may sediment for days in cropfields.

This species migrates in large numbers over Helsinki, where some may sediment for days in cropfields. I have also seen this species in Lapland.

Among the migrating geese of Helsinki, this is the least numerous species yet few birds occasionally stop for days. I have also seen this species in Lapland.

This species migrates over Helsinki, where some may sediment for days in cropfields. I have also seen this species in geese flocks in Lapland.