Tufted Duck

Frequenting wetlands from marshy lakes to open reservoirs, Tufted Ducks are also found locally at sea in winter, particularly during freezing lake conditions. The males boast a bold pattern, sporting black plumage with strikingly white flanks and a distinctive floppy crest, while females exhibit dark brown feathers, a short crest, paler flanks, golden-yellow eyes, and sometimes a messy white bill base patch. During flight, both sexes display a prominent white wingstripe. Often forming winter flocks, these ducks primarily dive for food and rest extensively during the day. Breeding widely across Eurasia and wintering in regions extending to central Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, they occasionally appear as rare winter visitors in North America, typically spotted alone amidst scaup flocks. Distinguishing features include the Tufted Duck''s notably dark back and consistently darker females even without tufts, along with a more limited facial white patch compared to scaup.