Medium-sized duck with extremely large, circumpolar breeding range across wetlands in sub-arctic and boreal zone of Europe, Asia and North America. More scattered breeding in central Europe and Scandinavia. Winters Western Europe, North Africa and Sahel zone, Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, north America. Slight decline but population very large. Prefers open grassland, prairie or tundra habitats with wetlands. In winter on lakes, coastal marshes, estuaries, tidal areas and river deltas. Diet omnivorous. Hunted in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Finland, Baltic States and Russia.