Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus, 1758)
≈38 cmLength71 cmWingspan701 gWeight
The male is black with creamy-white flanks and a small trailing tuft on the crown.
Busiest months: January and March–May · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Germany
Looks like Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup
How to identify
Field marks
- A single small tuft trails from the crown
- Male has a black head and neck with a purple metallic gloss
- Male has a black back and creamy-white belly and flanks
- Black wings with a white speculum
Male, female and young
Female brown with paler flanks and no metallic gloss; also has a head tuft, but less obvious than male’s.
Voice
Female usually gives a harsh, low growl, “karr”, in flight; male is mostly silent, but whistles “wit-oo” during courtship.
Similar species
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: January and March–May · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Germany
Tufted Duck has been recorded at 2,002 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 105 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Amwell HMWT NRUnited Kingdom8,529 records
- Beddington FarmlandsUnited Kingdom4,822 records
- Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom4,814 records
More places
- WWT London Wetland CentreUnited Kingdom4,115 records
- Walthamstow WetlandsUnited Kingdom4,032 records
- KaldbakstjarnirIceland3,967 records
- Rutland WaterUnited Kingdom3,623 records
- WWT Slimbridge Wetland CentreUnited Kingdom3,313 records
- Attenborough Nature Centre and NWT NRUnited Kingdom3,298 records
- Elton ReservoirUnited Kingdom2,987 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The tufted duck (or tufted pochard) (Aythya fuligula) 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'.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Tufted Duck?
The Tufted Duck is about ≈38 cm long, with a wingspan of 71 cm and weighs around 701 g.
Where does the Tufted Duck live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic: widespread. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, China and Germany.
When is the best time to see the Tufted Duck?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, March, April and May (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Tufted Duck endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Tufted Duck as Least Concern.
What does the Tufted Duck eat?
Main food: Aquatic plants.
What family is the Tufted Duck in?
It belongs to the family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae), order Anseriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- ≈38 cm
- Wingspan
- 71 cm
- Weight
- 701 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Aquatic plants
- Lifestyle
- On the water surface
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 197 mm
- Tail
- 53 mm
- Bill
- 44 mm
- Tarsus
- 31 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Ducks, Geese, Swans Anatidae
- Genus
- Aythya
Other birds in the genus Aythya
CanvasbackAythya valisineria
RedheadAythya americana
Common PochardAythya ferina
HardheadAythya australis
Madagascar PochardAythya innotata
Baer's PochardAythya baeri
Ferruginous DuckAythya nyroca
New Zealand ScaupAythya novaeseelandiae
Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
Greater ScaupAythya marila
Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Alexis Lours. ↗
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