Rarely calls, it is a deep-water bird and is good at diving with its wings folded. Omnivorous, mainly feeds on aquatic plants, fish and shellfish. During the breeding period, the male ducks assist the female ducks to choose a nesting place, dig out shallow pits on the ground or gather a pile of reeds to build a nest. Both male and female participate in the rearing of chicks. Overwinter on the coast or in larger lakes.
In March 2015, less than 500 critically endangered birds, Pochard, appeared on the Chengdu Plain in China. On February 16, 2019, the critically endangered Pochard was discovered by bird watchers in a reservoir in Gaomi, Shandong. Pochard is a critically endangered species in the world, with a population of less than 1,000.
On the afternoon of February 14, 2021, bird watching enthusiasts spotted a bird resembling a blue-headed pochard while taking a birdwatching photo in the Beihai Wetland of Tengchong. According to the expert identification of the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, it has been identified as a national first-class protection animal Baer Duck. This is the first time that the green-headed pochard has appeared in Tengchong after it was discovered in Baoshan Longyang Qinghua Sea.

