Tufted Duck Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesTufted Duck
Male
Adult male is mostly black overall, with a black head, neck, breast, back, and tail. The head can look purplish or greenish depending on the light. Gleaming white sides contrast with the otherwise dark plumage. A feather tuft hangs off the back of the head (length varies). The bill is gray with an entirely black tip. Eyes are yellow.
© Honza Grünwald / Macaulay LibraryHlavní město Praha, March 30, 2020Female/immature
Female and immature are brown overall, with a darker brown back. The bill is short and broad, and sometimes bordered by a small amount of white at the base. The overall head shape is rounded, but with a steep forehead, flat top, and rounded back. Adult female usually has at least a small tuft.
© Frank King / Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, April 05, 2020Male
Adult male is mostly black overall, with a black head, neck, breast, back, and tail contrasting with white sides. A feather tuft hangs off the back of the head, which can appear purplish or green depending on the lighting. The bill is gray with an entirely black tip. This bird reveals its white wing stripe while preening.
© Peter Boesman / Macaulay LibraryWallonne, Région, April 26, 2023Male
In flight, note the extensive white wing stripe set off against dark wings and a black back.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, March 02, 2015Immature male
Immature male starts to transition from female-like juvenile plumage to adult male plumage during its first winter. Note the short tuft; brownish-black head, back, and tail; and touch of white on the brownish side.
© Volker Hesse / Macaulay LibraryNiedersachsen, November 16, 2019Female
Female is brown overall, with a darker brown head and back. The overall head shape is rounded, but with a steep forehead, flat top, and rounded back. Individual females are variable when it comes to tuft size, white at the base of the bill, and white under the tail.
© Romeo M. Ocon / Macaulay LibraryPampanga, February 19, 2009Male
Overall head shape is rounded, but with a steep forehead, flat top, and rounded back. The short bill is mostly gray, with a lighter gray section adjacent to an all-black tip.
© Glenn Kincaid / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 19, 2016Female/immature
Female and immature have a dark brown head and back, and lighter brown breast and sides. Some (but not all) show white under the tail. The broad gray bill has a light band next to a black tip. Adult female usually has at least a small tuft.
© Terry Woodward / Macaulay LibraryEngland, November 24, 2015Female with chick
Breeds in freshwater habitats, including ponds and lakes bordered by marsh. Chicks typically remain with the female for 45–50 days before fledging, but small ducklings can usually survive on their own if necessary.
© Pascal Vagner / Macaulay LibraryVlaamse Gewest, July 05, 2013Male
Breeds in a variety of freshwater habitats, including ponds and lakes bordered by marsh.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibrarySouth Karelia, June 07, 2015Female and chick
Chicks remain with female for 45–50 days before fledging.
© Caleb Putnam / Macaulay LibraryHöfuðborgarsvæði, August 06, 2019Male (with Lesser Scaup)
In North America, Tufted Ducks are usually seen in the company of scaup and/or Ring-necked Ducks. Here, an adult male’s black back, bright white sides, and namesake tuft help it stand out in a group of Lesser Scaup.
© Daniel Jauvin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, April 20, 2022(with Common Pochard)
A relatively small diving duck, smaller-bodied than Common Pochard (seen here) and Greater Scaup.
© Stuart Malcolm / Macaulay LibraryEngland, February 21, 2009Male
Forms flocks in winter, sometimes numbering in the thousands.
© Ray Scally / Macaulay LibraryEngland, December 31, 2016Similar SpeciesGreater Scaup
Male
Adult male Greater Scaup lacks a tuft and has a finely patterned back that appears light gray.
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, January 05, 2020Similar SpeciesGreater Scaup
Female
Adult female Greater Scaup has extensive white around the base of the bill, a lighter brown back, and a consistently rounded head (female Tufted Duck’s head is more flat-topped and shows at least a hint of a tuft).
© Fyn Kynd / Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, January 24, 2020Similar SpeciesFerruginous Duck
Male and female
Adult female Ferruginous Duck (in foreground) has a long, sloping forehead/bill profile, a dark eye, and a prominent, well-defined white patch under the tail.
© Stefan Hirsch / Macaulay LibraryBács-Kiskun, June 05, 2017Similar SpeciesLesser Scaup
Male
Adult male Lesser Scaup lacks a tuft, has a peaked (rather than rounded) head, and has a finely patterned back that appears light gray.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 04, 2011Similar SpeciesLesser Scaup
Female
Adult female Lesser Scaup has more white around the base of the bill, a lighter brown back, and a peaked head.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 07, 2018Similar SpeciesRing-necked Duck
Breeding male
Adult male Ring-necked Duck has a strongly peaked head (with no tuft), mostly gray sides (with just a small white patch), and two prominent white marks on the bill.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 03, 2020Similar SpeciesRing-necked Duck
Female
Adult female Ring-necked Duck has a peaked head, a bold white band on the bill, a lighter-colored head, and a white eyering.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 18, 2019Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl(Order: Anseriformes, Family: Anatidae)
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