Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusAythya (Scaups, Pochards, and Allies)
- SpeciesAythya fuligula (Tufted Duck)
About the Tufted Duck
The tufted duck (or tufted pochard) (Aythya fuligula) is a small diving duck with a population of nearly one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. They are partially migratory. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors such as Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin fuligo 'soot' and gula 'throat'. It is a game bird.
The tufted duck was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Anas fuligula. He cited the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner who in 1555 had used the identical name Anas fuligula in his Historiae animalium. Linnaeus specified the type locality as Europe but in 1761 restricted it to Sweden. The tufted duck is now one of 12 species placed in the genus Aythya that was introduced in 1822 by the German naturalist Friedrich Boie. The genus name is from Ancient Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by Aristotle, Hesychius and other authors. The specific epithet fuligula combines Latin meaning "soot" and gula meaning "throat". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. An alternative common... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Plitvice Lakes National Park
Ferruginous Duck
Aythya nyroca
Common Pochard
Aythya ferina
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Common Merganser
Mergus merganser
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadorna
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelope
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulata
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Tufted Duck in Plitvice Lakes National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tufted Duck sighting in Plitvice Lakes National Park, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Tufted Duck in Plitvice Lakes National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Tufted Duck in Plitvice Lakes National Park in our monthly data.