Tufted Duck

Aythya fuligula

Other Pics: Female Tufted Duck

Other Names

  Tufted Pochard   Fuligule morillon   Reiherente   Porrón Moñudo   Vigg   Kuifeend   Moretta

World: N Palearctic occurring N of the equator from Iceland to Kamchatka then south as far as central Europe, N Mongolia and N Japan. Partially migratory found during the winter in the Mediterranean basin, N and sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, Indian sub-continent and SE Asia.

Kenya: Winter visitor to the central Rift Valley and adjacent highlands.

This distinctive diving duck is a relatively uncommon visitor to Kenya during November to March. The male in breeding plumage (pictured above left) is strikingly coloured with the black taking on an almost dark blue colouration. The long crest is a unique feature amongst the Pochards. The female (pictured right) has variable dull brown colouring but generally shows white on the chin and around the bill, it has a shorter crest. Tufted Ducks feed on molluscs, seeds and green parts of aquatic plants. It prefers deep freshwater expanses but overwinters on brackish lagoons and in tidal bays.