Tufted Duck

Description:

The uncooperative Tufted Duck
These ducks are just as described. All black except the white flanks and tuft of feathers on the back of the head. These usually swim with Scaup in the winter, and since they are so similar from a distance you can hardly tell them apart except that the Scaup has a grey back and no tuft. This one is believed to be a 1st winter due to only having a short tuft and slight muddy white color on the top part of the flank.

Habitat:

This may look like an inland lake but it's salt water from the bay which is tidal.

Notes:

The other spotting of the Tufted Duck I have maybe the same bird. The first time the duck was way out in the water and only lifted his head once while I was there. This one is more of an outcast and at this time was only about 40ft from me. He swims at the east end of the lake away from the bigger group of birds and is mostly by himself or with small group scaup. This lake is very well known in Oakland for one of the stopping places for migratory ducks. Every year birders with their scopes come to try to spot the Tufted Duck amongst the Greater and Lesser Scaup and Canvasbacks