Tufted Duck

The Tufted Duck is a compact diving duck with a rounded head and a small crest hanging from the rear of the crown. Breeding males are sharply black and white, with golden-yellow eyes and pale blue-grey bills. Females are dark brown with shorter crests and may show a pale patch around the bill base. Both sexes have a broad white wing bar visible in flight (Wikipedia, general species account).

Tufted Ducks dive from the surface to take molluscs, aquatic insects and plant material, using lakes, reservoirs, slow rivers and sheltered coastal water. They often feed and rest in flocks, particularly outside the breeding season. The female conceals a down-lined nest close to water and cares for the ducklings alone. Northern birds migrate south, making the species a numerous winter visitor across much of Japan (Wikipedia, general species account).