The tufted duck is a small diving duck with a population of nearly one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. They are partially migratory. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors such as Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin fuligo 'soot' and gula 'throat'. It is a game bird.
Region
Northern Eurasia
Typical Environment
Breeds widely across the temperate and boreal Palearctic, from Iceland and the British Isles through Scandinavia and Russia to Siberia. Winters to the south and west, concentrating in western and southern Europe, the Black Sea, the Middle East, and parts of East Asia. Uses large freshwater lakes, reservoirs, slow rivers, gravel pits, and park ponds for breeding and feeding. In winter it also frequents sheltered coastal waters, estuaries, and brackish lagoons. Outside the core range, small introduced or vagrant populations occur, including in New Zealand.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 3/5
Male tufted ducks are striking black-and-white divers with a distinctive backward drooping crest; females are chocolate-brown with a shorter tuft. They form large winter flocks on lakes and coastal bays and readily use urban water bodies. They often dive for mussels and snails and will also graze on aquatic plants. Hybridization with other Aythya ducks, such as scaup and ring-necked duck, is occasionally recorded.
Eggs in the collection of Museum Wiesbaden
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
fast direct flight with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season it forms dense rafts on open water, sometimes numbering in the thousands. Pairs form in late winter to spring; nesting occurs on the ground near water, concealed in vegetation. The clutch typically contains 8–10 eggs, and females perform most incubation and brood care. Occasional intraspecific brood parasitism is recorded.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Generally quiet; males give soft, whistled whee-oo or peeping notes during display. Females produce harsher grunts and growls, especially when alarmed or with young.
Plumage
Male glossy black with bright white flanks and a long, drooping crest; female dark brown overall with slightly paler flanks and a shorter crest. Both sexes have a blue-grey bill with a black tip band and pale yellow eyes. Juveniles are duller brown with a reduced or absent crest.
Diet
Primarily dives for benthic invertebrates such as mussels, snails, caddisfly larvae, and other aquatic insects. Also consumes crustaceans and occasionally small fish fry. Plant material including seeds, buds, and shoots of aquatic vegetation forms an important part of the diet, especially outside the breeding season. Diet composition varies with habitat and season.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on medium to large freshwater bodies with ample submerged vegetation and mollusk beds. In winter it often uses estuaries, sheltered bays, and coastal lagoons where it can exploit mussel beds. Readily forages on urban lakes and reservoirs.
