Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Tufted Duck is a Eurasian diving duck and a rare winter visitor to the United States. Adult males have yellow eyes, a black back, white sides, and a tuft hanging behind the head. North American visitors are usually found singly among flocks of scaup or Ring-necked Ducks.

Appearance

Appearance: It is 15.8–18.5 in (40–47 cm) long. The male is black with bright white sides, yellow eyes, and a loose tuft behind the head; the female is dark brown with a shorter tuft and sometimes a small white patch at the bill base.

Look-alikes

Greater ScaupAythya marila

A male Tufted Duck has a solid black back and a hanging tuft; a male Greater Scaup has a finely barred pale gray back and no tuft. Female Tufted Ducks are darker and usually have less white around the bill.

Why they get mixed upBoth are yellow-eyed diving ducks with black-and-white males and brown females.

Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris

A Ring-necked Duck has a peaked crown and a bold white band near the black bill tip, while a Tufted Duck has a rounder head with a loose rear tuft and an all-black bill tip.

Why they get mixed upBoth are compact dark-backed diving ducks, and Tufted Ducks often join Ring-necked Duck flocks in North America.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: lakes and reservoirs
slow rivers
protected coastal waters
Range: This Eurasian duck is a rare but regular visitor to North America, with records from 30 U.S. states and every Canadian province. Visitors are usually alone in flocks of scaup or Ring-necked Ducks.
Seasonal presence: In the United States it is a winter , not a regular breeding bird.
When it’s recorded: Recorded Oct–May most years
362 observations in the US · 10 years · for reference

Behavior

Diet: It dives for mussels, clams, snails, aquatic insects, , and some aquatic plants or grain.
Activity: It dives for food and runs across the water as it takes flight.
Social life: North American visitors often associate with scaup and Ring-necked Ducks.

Life cycle

Clutch size: 8–11 eggs

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

10 sources