# Tufted Duck (*Aythya fuligula*) The Tufted Duck is a lovely bird with a fluffy tuft on its head! It loves to swim in lakes and ponds, diving underwater to find tasty snacks like plants and small fish. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Black-headed Duck ![Tufted Duck](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tufted_Duck_09_05_2025_02.jpg&width=800) Photo: Alexis Lours, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tufted_Duck_09_05_2025_02.jpg) ## Appearance The Tufted Duck is a medium-sized diving duck. Males are glossy black with striking white flanks and a prominent, backward-curving tuft of feathers on their head, paired with bright yellow eyes. Females are a browner plumage, though they also possess a smaller, less distinct tuft. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Aythya ## Interesting facts - Baby tufted ducks are called ducklings and can swim and dive just hours after hatching! - Sometimes, Tufted Ducks lay their eggs in other ducks' nests, letting them do all the parenting work! - The male's fancy head tuft grows longer with age, signaling his experience to potential mates! - They often nest near gulls and terns, who help protect their ducklings from predators! ## Special abilities - **Deep Diver:** Tufted Ducks can dive to depths of 6 meters because their heavy bodies help them sink quickly, reaching food others can't. - **Underwater Flyer:** Tufted Ducks have powerful webbed feet that help them 'fly' underwater, chasing prey with incredible agility. - **Nighttime Forager:** Tufted Ducks can forage effectively at night because their keen vision helps them locate food in low-light conditions underwater. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 40-47 cm - **Wingspan:** 65-72 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-1.1 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 8-11 - **Incubation:** 23-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding These ducks dive underwater to feast on tasty aquatic insects, mollusks, and small fish, along with some plants! - **Primary Foods:** Mussels, Aquatic insect larvae, Snails, Small fish, Aquatic plant seeds - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Zebra Mussel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/zebra-mussel) (*Dreissena polymorpha*) — An important food source, especially where mussels are abundant. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-eagle) (*Haliaeetus albicilla*) — Large raptors like sea eagles prey on ducks. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Opportunistic foxes will prey on ducks, especially during nesting. - **Eats:** Broad-leaved Pondweed (*Potamogeton natans*) — Consumes seeds and vegetative parts of aquatic plants. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch ducks from a distance and do not feed them bread. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Tufted Duck? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Tufted Duck? 40-47 cm ### What is Tufted Duck's wingspan? 65-72 cm ### How much does Tufted Duck weigh? 0.5-1.1 kg ### How long does Tufted Duck live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Tufted Duck move? 70 km/h ### What does Tufted Duck eat? These ducks dive underwater to feast on tasty aquatic insects, mollusks, and small fish, along with some plants! ### Where is Tufted Duck usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Coindre Hall Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/coindre-hall-park) — New York, US · Park - [Pairi Daiza](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pairi-daiza) — Hainaut, BE · Zoo - [Naturpark Insel Usedom](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/usedom-island-nature-park) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park - [Tierpark Röhrensee Bayreuth](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-rohrensee-bayreuth) — Bayern, DE · Zoo - [Harz Nature Park (Lower Saxony)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harz-nature-park-lower-saxony) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park - [Naturpark Diemelsee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/diemelsee-nature-park) — Hessen; Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park [View all places to see Tufted Duck](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tufted-duck) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Tufted Duck: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tufted-duck)