This small diving duck is characteristic for having a tuft of feathers in the shape of a bun, which is longer and more striking in the male than in the female. The male is blackish in colour except for its belly and flanks, which are white, making it very easily identifiable. The female has a similar pattern, but with a brownish colouration, which is lighter on the flanks and belly.
La imagen es autoría de Ferrán Pestaña. Licencia Creative Commons con algunos derechos reservados.
Species 1
Tufted Duck
Scientific name
Aythya fuligula
Family 2
Anatidae
Taxonomic Affinity Group 3
Ducks
Phenology 4
It is a wintering bird, and it is easy to see it in the ‘Cerrillos Salt Flats’ from November to March. It shares the same pattern as in the rest of the Iberian wetlands, although it only uses a few to reproduce.
The graph represents the probability of seeing a species during the year, grouped into months. The vertical axis indicates the percentage value. Each of the bars expresses its value. The horizontal axis represents the months: I = January, II = February, III = March, IV = April, V = May, VI = June, VII = July, VIII = August, IX = September, X = October, XI = November and XII = December.
Observation recommendations
It is necessary to have a keen eye, especially for the female, as it can easily be confused with the Bastard Pochard, another species that is rare in our wetlands. Being a diving duck, it is easier to see it in the ‘Salinas Viejas’. In fact, it is the place where most of the sightings have been recorded.
Observation areas where we can find it
Notes
[1] The names used are from the list of birds of Spain, drawn up by SEO/BirdLife and updated to 2019 (https://seo.org/listaavesdeespana/). The reference is: Rouco, M., Copete, J. L., De Juana, E., Gil-Velasco, M., Lorenzo, J. A., Martín, M., Milá, B., Molina, B. & Santos, D. M. 2019. Checklist of the birds of Spain. 2019 edition. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
[2] The taxonomic family to which it belongs is indicated.
[3] Traditionally, waterbirds have been grouped according to their taxonomy or “taxonomic affinity”, i.e., when some birds coincide in certain features that allow them to be classified scientifically, but without leaving the rigour of science, they are put together in these groups so that they can be easily recognised. These groups are the following: Greves (belonging to the Podicipedae family), Herons and Similar (includes the families: Ardeidae -Herons- Ciconiidae -Storks- and Threskiornithidae -Ibises and spoonbills-), Ducks (the whole Anatidae family), Coots and Similar (the family Rallidae corresponding to Rails, Gallinules and Coots), Cranes (also with only one family, the Gruidae), Waders , a heterogeneous group, the most diverse of this classification, includes the families Burhinidae (Stone-curlews), Haematopodidae (Oystercather), Recurvirostridade (Avocets and Stilts), Glareolidae (Pranticole), Charadriidadea (Plovers), Scolapacidae and finally Gulls and Similar (the recently unified family Laridae, i.e. Gulls and Terns).
[4] Phenology studies the relationship between the cycles of living beings and meteorological factors, and in our latitude these factors manifest themselves as variations throughout the year, thus relating the seasons to the birds’ cycles (breeding, migratory journeys, etc.) The graph shows the probability of seeing a bird depending on the month. It uses data from 48 bird censuses carried out between October 2016 and September 2018. The method used is that of a census route with sampling stations, with a total count on the sheet of water.