The use of visual and acoustic perceptions is key for tufted ducks because they are needed to communicate for mating rituals and warning calls. Like most birds, they perceive their environment through visual, auditory, tactile and chemical stimuli.
Both females and males make similar calls, korr,korr,korr, or ka-ka-ka, karr, with the female normally presenting the call louder. Calls are normally emitted when beginning to fly, quarreling, or when startled.
During mate selection, two or three male ducks will flaunt their attributes in the presence of a female. To attract mates, males will swim in circles around a female, passing her rapidly. The male will extend his neck to full length and raises his bill but will not look in the female's direction. Like other diving ducks, male tufted ducks dip their bills frequently and sound calls during courtship. Females have also been spotted flaunting their attributes towards males before mating.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Tufted ducks have a very large geographic range and their populations are not declining or fluctuating. The conservation status of tufted ducks on the IUCN Red list is of least concern. The largest threat to tufted ducks is habitat loss through human induced alteration. This includes destruction of wetlands for human development, waste pollution, and oil spills.
Tufted ducks are not endangered. They live in a large area and their numbers are not decreasing. On the IUCN Red list, they are listed as a species of "least concern". Their biggest threat is loss of habitat due caused by human activities, including destroying wetlands to build buildings, and pollution from trash or oil spills.
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known negative impacts of tufted ducks on humans.
Tufted ducks are economically important for the hunting and game industry. The only time when the species cannot be hunted is during breeding season. They provide motivation to conserve wetland habitats, which are of great economic importance to humans.
Positive Impacts: food
Adult tufted ducks, eggs, and young are all common sources of food for many predators. In addition, they serve as hosts to a species of avian nasal parasite. This parasite is found in mollusks as an intermediate host, and then are consumed by tufted ducks. They are predators of many aquatic invertebrates, and generally have a significant impact on these populations.
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Tufted ducks are omnivores whose main source of food are molluscs (Mollusca). The most preyed upon molluscs are zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). Zebra mussels are generally very abundant in slow moving rivers, canals, docks, reservoirs, and large areas of freshwater. In addition, tufted ducks consume a variety of plant materials, mostly leaves, stems, and roots. They also occasionally feed on seeds. They generally forage and feed with other members of their species. They typically dive together, or one after the other very quickly, and stay submerged from a few seconds to one minute.
There are always quantities of sand, fine shells, and small stones found within tufted ducks' stomachs. This species usually consumes food underwater; however, when a larger vertebrate or plant is being consumed they bring that food to the surface where they crush the food with their bills before ingested.
Animal Foods: amphibians; fish; insects; mollusks
Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers; seeds, grains, and nuts; bryophytes
Primary Diet: omnivore
Tufted ducks are migratory birds with a broad geographic range that extends from Eurasia and Africa to the North American coasts. They were historically native only to the Palearctic Region. However, over the past century, their range has expanded due to an increased availability of open water due to man-made changes in its habitat. Man-made lakes have provided these birds with ideal feeding habitats.
During breeding months (May to early August), tufted ducks inhabit most Palearctic regions such as the Faroe Islands, the British Isles, Norway, nearly all of Europe, and Asia to eastern Siberia. The limit of their range extends from about 70 degrees North and South latitudes to about 50 degrees north. During the winter months (November to April), tufted ducks can be found in southern Europe, northern Africa, southern Asia, and some areas throughout North America. They can also be found occasionally throughout areas of Madeira, Borneo, Liberia, the Seychelle, Pelew, Marianne and Philippine Islands.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); palearctic (Native ); ethiopian (Native ); indian ocean; pacific ocean ; mediterranean sea
The habitat of tufted ducks varies seasonally due to its migratory behavior. Throughout the breeding season, they are most often found in shallow lakes. They prefer shallow water ranging from 3 to 5 m deep, with tall thick wetland vegetation, such as reeds, for perching and preening. Vegetation is also an important factor in protection from the wind. During the breeding season tufted ducks typically avoid lakes that are deeper than 15 m. During winter months, they can be found generally in larger bodies of open water such as marshes, lakes, estuaries, and man-made ponds. During periods of migration, they can also be found in and along rivers.
Range depth: 2 to 15 m.
Average depth: 7 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial ; saltwater or marine ; freshwater
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams; coastal
Wetlands: marsh
Other Habitat Features: agricultural ; estuarine
Little is known about the lifespan and longevity of tufted ducks.
Tufted ducks are small to medium-sized diving ducks. Sexual dimorphism is clearly apparent among males and females. Males are typically larger than females, with an average body length of 42 to 48 cm and a mass of 753.0 to 1026.2 g. Females generally range from 39 to 44 cm in length and weigh in at 629.8 to 906.8 g. Seasonally, body mass will fluctuate between sexes. Both male and female tufted ducks have an average wingspan of 70 cm.
The defining characteristic of this species that distinguishes them from the other members of Anatidae is the distinct tuft located on the back of the head. The tuft is black and more prominent on males, and generally brown and less noticeable on females. Adult males are solid black with white underbellies and flanks. They have bright yellow eyes and a distinct tuft that is sometimes matted down from diving. Adult females are brown with dark yellow flanks and a white underbelly and a less pronounced tuft, or sometimes no tuft at all. Females also have bright yellow eyes. The wing undersides of both adult females and males is white.
Juvenile tufted ducks are similar in appearance to mature female adults, however, juvenile color is less vibrant and the tuft is less pronounced. Males in non-breeding plumage also resemble females with a brown tint and a less prominent tuft or no tuft at all.
Range mass: 753.0 (male) 629.8 (female) to 1026.2 (male) 906.8 (female) g.
Average mass: 889.6 (male) 768.3 (female) g.
Range length: 406.4 to 457.2 mm.
Average length: 431.8 mm.
Range wingspan: 201.5 (male) 193.6 (female) to 212.1 (male) 206.6 (female) mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; sexes colored or patterned differently; male more colorful
The main predators of tufted ducks are humans. They are protected by hunting laws during the breeding season (May through early August); however, they may be hunted during the rest of the year. They can also be hunted by large birds of prey such as hawks, as well as terrestrial predators including foxes, raccoons, and common snapping turtles. In addition, many animals prey on their eggs, including domestic dogs, crows, and skunks. Like many birds, female tufted ducks exhibit cryptic coloration to camouflage themselves while incubating the clutch.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Tufted ducks are monogamous and breeds once a year. Adults form pair bonds during spring migration and mates remain together until late June to early July. Reproductive behavior and mannerisms are similar to other diving ducks. Examples of "showing off" behavior include dipping, also known as drinking, which is when the males and females swim quickly alongside one another and dip their bills in and out of the water. Another example is the neck stretch, which is when the male swims rapidly past the female and reaches its neck to its entire length, holding it there for a few seconds. Male-only displays are few but consist of nod swimming (a fast swim that includes nodding the head back in forth with full extension), a head throw (similar to neck stretch), and preening behind the wing.
Mating System: monogamous
The breeding season for tufted ducks occurs from May through early August, with peak activity from mid-May to mid-July. The breeding season begins with pair bondings which are formed during spring migration and continue until late June or early July.
For nest site selection, pairs browse along the open waters of wetlands. Females swim into flooded areas looking for a suitable nesting site while males stay alert for predators and other threats. Ideal nesting areas are near water, generally amid dense vegetation. The female is the constructor of the nest which requires almost a week to complete. Grasses and feathers are used as support for the nest. By the third day of nest building, a bowl shape has been formed; by day six, the nest is strong with a defined shape.
Female tufted ducks lay between 6 and 14 eggs a season, but on average between 8 and 10. Eggs are smooth and ovular in shape and range in color from olive-brown to olive-gray. Incubation starts after the clutch is completed and begins on the first night the female remains in the nest overnight. Incubation usually lasts 26 to 27 days. Chicks hatch usually weighing 28 to 31 g, covered in downy feathers, and can generally begin following parents and feeding themselves soon after hatching. Fledging occurs 49 to 56 days after hatching and independence occurs 21 to 56 days after fledging. Reproductive maturity is quickly reached by both sexes, and breeding can occur during the following breeding season.
Breeding interval: Tufted ducks breed once yearly.
Breeding season: The breeding season occurs during late winter or spring months
Range eggs per season: 8 to 11.
Average eggs per season: 9 to 10.
Range time to hatching: 25 to 29 days.
Average time to hatching: 26 to 27 days.
Range fledging age: 49 to 56 days.
Range time to independence: 21 to 56 days.
Average time to independence: 43 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Parental care for ducklings is exhibited only by females. Males do contribute indirectly by taking care of nutritional needs of the female during the laying process. The young emerge from the egg without any help from the mother, after which she disposes of the egg by ingesting it, removing it from nest area, or crushing the shells. Young tufted ducks do not depend on their mothers for food after they learn to dive. This typically occurs within the first 48 hours of hatching, however, during this first week young ducklings rely mostly on surface foods.
Parental Investment: precocial ; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Protecting: Female)
