Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
White-headed Duck
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Oxyura leucocephala
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How to recognize it
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43–48 cm long, stocky silhouette
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Adult male in breeding plumage: white head, black cap, blue bill
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Female: grey-brown plumage, pale cheek stripes, grey bill
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Tail held almost vertically while swimming
About the species
On a breeding male, a white head with a small black cap sits above a swollen blue bill and a reddish-grey body. The female is browner overall, with a pale face, light stripes along her cheeks and a darker bill. Both sexes swim with a stiff, pointed tail held almost upright, often visible above the water.
Most of its life is spent on the water, where it dives and swims below the surface. It feeds mostly at night and can swim 30–40 metres underwater; if alarmed, it tends to dive or swim for cover rather than take off.
It breeds on lakes and ponds with open water beside dense stands of aquatic plants, which provide shelter and nesting sites. Its food is mostly aquatic vegetation, with molluscs, aquatic insects and their larvae, worms and crustaceans also included. Some populations migrate between breeding and wintering grounds, while those in Spain and North Africa remain year-round.
Where to find
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At steppe and semi-desert lakes in southern Russia, look along reed beds for the White-headed Duck swimming across open water with its tail held almost upright.
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At artificial water bodies with dense aquatic plants, watch for dives in search of plant food and small aquatic animals.
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During migration at shallow freshwater or saline waters, including coastal shallows, keep your distance and watch for a dive or a swim for cover instead of takeoff if alarmed.
