Appearance:

Shape resembles both diving and dabbling ducks. Characteristic head profile with long bill, long sloping forehead and rather high rear crown (not unlike Pochard). White undertail usually visible also when on the water. Broad, white wing-bars and white underwing conspicous in flight. White undertail separated from white belly by brown band. Male with shining white eyes. Female with brown eye and less bright rufous tones to plumage. Immature similar to female, but with even less rufous. Immatures told from immature Pochard by by darker back, no facial markings and white (not grey) wing-bars. Note that Tufted Duck sometimes have white (but more diffuse) undertail. Beware also of hybrids with Pochard (note bill-pattern).

Sound:

Female call similar to female Tufted Duck's "kerr kerr", but thinner and with a strong, peculiar bi-tone. Male display call mostly consists of various short "chk" sounds.

Female:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-sound:Jarek Matusiak, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Linton Snapper, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Radovan Václav, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:darwin_initiative, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Frank.Vassen, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Koshyk, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

May only be confused with Egyptian Goose, but differs in short, dark legs, dark bill, thicker neck, rufous belly and lack of eye-patch. Black and white wings conspicuous in flight as in Egyptian Goose, but lacks thin, black stripe at rear of white coverts. Sexes quite similar. Male with ringed neck in breeding plumage, and female with more contrasting facial pattern. Immature similar to female, but with "dirty" white wing-patches. Less dependent on water than most other ducks.

Sound:

Distinct voice and quite vocal. Nasal, trumpeting, donkey-like calls, often drawn out to a rattling, trill (Chewbacca of Star Wars). Male higher pitched than female.

Call/song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Hans Matheve, Licence,Link.