General

Tufted Duck: Medium-sized diving duck with long black crest and dull black back and tail. Underparts and sides are bright white. Head, neck and breast are black with a purple sheen. Wings are black with dark-edged, broad white stripes visible in flight. Eyes are yellow; legs and feet are gray. Female is brown overall with darker breast, paler sides, white belly, small crest, and black-tipped gray bill. Juvenile resembles female but is duller. Eclipse male resembles breeding male but lacks purple sheen on head, neck, and breast, and has gray-washed sides. Hybridizes with scaups.

Range and Habitat

Tufted Duck: Breeds across Eurasia from Iceland and the British Isles east across Russia and Siberia to the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Commander Islands; breeding has not been reported in North America. They are casual visitors on northern coasts during migration. Found in large lakes and bays.

Breeding and Nesting

Tufted Duck: Seven to ten yellow, brown, or green eggs are laid in a small ground hollow lined with grass and down, usually hidden in reeds or under bushes near water. Incubation ranges from 23 to 28 days. Young start to fly at 45 to 50 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Tufted Duck: Diet consists of crustaceans, mollusks, insects, seeds, and aquatic plants; forages by diving from the surface, usually to depths of 6 to 10 feet.

Vocalization

Tufted Duck: Gives a low whistle during courtship.

Similar Species

Tufted Duck: Ring-necked Duck lacks tuft of feathers behind head.