White-Headed Duck
Oxyura leucocephala
Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Oxyura
Conservation status: endangered
The White-headed Duck is a small, stocky diving duck with a distinctive large blue bill and white head that makes it unmistakable among waterfowl, while the male's dark chestnut body contrasts sharply with its pale crown. This rare duck is found in shallow freshwater lakes and marshes across Central Asia and occasionally Europe, where it dives underwater to feed on aquatic plants and invertebrates.
How To Identify
It is a medium-sized duck with an elegant build; males are distinguished by pristine white heads and necks that contrast sharply against their darker brown flanks and bodies.
Habitat
It inhabits shallow freshwater and brackish lakes, marshes, and reservoirs with dense reed beds and aquatic vegetation across Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of southern Europe and North Africa.
Behaviour
This duck is an excellent diver that propels itself underwater using its legs positioned far back on its body, and it rarely walks on land or takes flight, preferring to escape predators by diving.
Native Range
This duck is known from Spain, North Africa, Western Asia and Central Asia.
Did You Know?
The White-headed Duck is an unusual stiff-tailed diving duck with a distinctive swollen blue bill and rigid tail feathers that it often cocks vertically out of the water. Males perform elaborate courtship displays that include inflating their neck, slapping their bill on their chest, and producing mechanical sounds.
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