In the UAE, this species is most often found at estuaries, ponds, reservoirs, creeks, lagoons and water treatment plants (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It requires water less than 1 m deep for foraging (Snow and Perrins 1998). There is no information available about its diet in the UAE. In general, the species is omnivorous and opportunistic, feeding by dabbling in water and by grazing on the land (del Hoyo et al. 1992, Snow and Perrins 1998). Elsewhere, its diet consists of seeds and the vegetative parts of aquatic and terrestrial plants, as well as terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates such as insects, molluscs, crustaceans, worms and occasionally amphibians and fish (del Hoyo et al. 1992). The non-breeding population native to the UAE is migratory, leaving its breeding grounds in the western Palaeartic in September/October and returning in February/March (Richardson 1990). During migration and in winter, the species can be found in small to very large flocks numbering up to several hundred of individuals (Madge and Burn 1988, Richardson 1990, Richardson and Aspinall 1998, Snow and Perrins 1998). The species may also roost both nocturnally and diurnally in communal groups when not breeding (Brown et al. 1982).An introduced population breeds in early spring in various locations near human sites in Dubai and Abu Dhabi emirates (Richardson 1990, Richardson and Aspinall 1998, Jennings 2010), and chicks are present from late March on (Richardson 1990). While there is not much known about the breeding behaviour of the introduced population (Jennings 2010), usually the nest is a shallow depression or bowl of vegetation that can be situated in many different locations such as within vegetation on the ground, in natural tree cavities, under fallen dead wood, on tree stumps, under bushes and even in abandoned nests of other species (e.g. herons or crows) (Brown et al. 1982, Flint et al. 1984, del Hoyo et al. 1992, Snow and Perrins 1998). Nests are generally placed close to water (Kear 2005).