Tufted Duck: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Irina Krug · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Aythya fuligula
- Family
- Ducks, Geese, and Swans
- Size
- About 43 cm
- Habitat
- Lakes, gravel pits and park ponds
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and Oceania
The key marks
Male black with bright white flanks, a drooping tuft on the back of the head and a yellow eye; female dark brown, sometimes with a little white at the bill base. Scaup male has a grey back and no tuft.
Voice
Mostly silent; the female growls 'kerr-kerr'.
Good to know
It dives for zebra mussels and is one of the most common wintering ducks in the Netherlands.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Greater Scaup. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in lakes, gravel pits and park ponds. It is especially common in the Netherlands. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.