Tufted Duck

The Tufted Duck is an Old World diving duck that is easily identifiable, as there is a distinct sexual dimorphism in its nuptial plumage. The adult male is bicolored; when perched on the water they appear uniformly black, with white flanks and a nape that falls over their neck. When in flight they appear black on top and white underneath. The white wing bars, formed from the white bases of its primaries, stand out well against the black background. On closer inspection, the belly, flanks, and the undersides of its wings are all white, in contrast to the front and back which are black. In good light, its head often gives off a slight green or purple sheen. Its eyes are yellow, its beak blue with a black tip and indistinct white ring. Its legs are gray.
In eclipse plumage, after breeding season, the flanks turn to a dark brown hue that lighten again as winter sets in. At the same time, the second year males have less distinct blacks, with browner flanks, a less prominent tuft, a more grayish beak, and a dull yellow eye.
The adult female has a much darker brown in place of the male's black, with lighter brown flanks that often appear streaked, in contrast to the blander hue of the rest of the bird. The tuft is shorter and less prominent. The beak is slightly less blue, and the eye is still yellow. In flight, it bears the same white wing bars on top, and its underside is pallid, except for its flanks. In its non-breeding plumage, there is not much change. Often there will be a pale patch on the side of its face at the base of its beak, which may be confusing with a female of the Common Goldeneye, but the tufted head should prevent confusion. The undertail coverts often appear pale, and could be mistaken for a Ferruginous Duck, especially when the flanks are warm brown.Once again, the shape of the head brings the reality. The young female of the second year is distinguished from her elder by her widely grey beak and her less yellow eye. The chick is remarkable with her dark grey down feathers, unmistakable in our country. The juvenile in the end of summer has a female plumage. Its beak is grey and its eye is honey.