Tufted Duck

The Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) is a medium-sized diving duck with a widespread distribution across the Palearctic. This elegant species is a familiar sight on urban lakes, deep reservoirs, and park ponds across Europe and Asia. Characterized by its compact size, rounded head, and distinctive floppy crest, it is an accomplished diver capable of foraging at significant depths. This duck is highly gregarious, often forming large mixed flocks with other diving ducks, such as Pochards and Scaups, during the winter months.

Identifying the Tufted Duck is relatively straightforward, especially when observing adult males.

Male Plumage

Adult males in breeding plumage are sharply contrasting black and white. The head, breast, back, and tail are a deep, glossy black with purple or green iridescence visible in good light. The flanks are stark white, creating a bold, clean contrast. The most diagnostic features are the long, drooping black crest (the 'tuft') at the back of the head and the intense, piercing yellow eyes. The bill is pale blue-gray with a distinct, broad black tip (nail).

Female Plumage

Females are overall a dark, warm brown, with slightly lighter dusky-brown flanks. The crest is much shorter and less conspicuous than the male's, sometimes appearing as just a small bump. The eyes are yellow, though slightly duller than the male's. Some females show a small patch of white feathers at the base of the bill, which can cause confusion with other diving ducks.

Similar Species

• Greater and Lesser Scaup: Scaup lack the distinctive crest of the Tufted Duck. The males have gray, finely vermiculated backs rather than the solid black back of the Tufted Duck.
• Ring-necked Duck: The male Ring-necked Duck has gray flanks and a black back, resembling the Tufted Duck, but lacks a crest (possessing a peaked crown instead) and has a distinct white ring on its bill. Female Ring-necks have a white eye-ring and face-striping.

Tufted Ducks occupy a wide range of aquatic environments across their extensive Palearctic range.

Breeding Habitat

During the breeding season, they favor lowland freshwater lakes, marshes, slow-flowing rivers, and gravel pits with plenty of emergent vegetation. They prefer water bodies with patchily distributed vegetation that provides cover for nesting chicks.

Winter and Migration

In winter, many northern populations migrate south and west to find ice-free waters. They congregate on larger reservoirs, deep lakes, and estuaries. They are increasingly common in urban parks and artificial water storage facilities. While primarily a Palearctic species, individuals occasionally migrate off course, appearing as rare winter vagrants along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America.

The behavior of the Tufted Duck is defined by its social nature and diving lifestyle.

Feeding

As a diving duck, the Tufted Duck secures its food by submerging completely under the water. It typically dives to depths of 1 to 5 meters, using its webbed feet for propulsion. Its diet consists heavily of animal matter, with zebra mussels and other small freshwater mollusks being a preferred source of nutrition. It also consumes aquatic insects, crustaceans, and occasionally seeds or vegetative parts of aquatic plants.

Breeding

Breeding begins in late spring, usually from May to June. The nest is a shallow scrape lined with grass and down, hidden in thick shoreline vegetation or situated on small islands. Tufted Ducks frequently nest in loose colonies, often choosing sites within or near gull and tern colonies. This provides mutual defense against aerial predators.

Vocalization

Tufted Ducks are generally quiet birds outside of the breeding season. During courtship, the male makes a soft, liquid, whistling call described as 'pleep-pleep' or 'wit-wit'. The female is more vocal, particularly when disturbed, producing a harsh, rattling growl: 'karrr' or 'kerrr'.