In breeding plumage, the male has an orange head and reddish bill; the female is brown. This diving duck feeds on aquatic plants and algae.
In breeding plumage, the male has an orange head, reddish bill, black chest, and pale flanks. The female is brown with a pale face; the male in eclipse plumage also resembles the female.
On 13 March 2023, a pair of red-crested pochards was feeding on aquatic plants at Kleiner Weikerlsee in Linz, Austria. Several apparently established pairs were present among a flock of about 40 birds. In one pair away from the flock, the male repeatedly dived and brought charophyte algae, Chara species, to the surface, sometimes in large bunches.
Whenever the male surfaced, the female immediately approached and ate at least half of the plants. During approximately one hour of observation, the male made dozens of dives, while the female did not dive once. The record shows different feeding behaviour within this pair: the male brought food up and the female ate it at the surface. Red-crested pochards diving for aquatic plants at this lake were absent during the depths of winter; this particular observation took place in March.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The official conservation account for North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, identifies declining water quality from nutrient and pollutant inputs as a threat, noting charophytes as a food source. Its measures include retaining shallow shores with dense vegetation and reedbeds and establishing buffer areas, such as grassland, to reduce inputs. Reducing disturbance from fishing, water sports and other activities at breeding sites from April to July and at resting and feeding areas is another objective.