Oxyura leucocephala
The White-headed Duck, *Oxyura leucocephala*, is a distinctive member of the stiff-tailed duck genus, renowned for its upright, fan-like tail. Males are particularly striking during the breeding season, sporting a brilliant white head with a contrasting black crown and a vibrant sky-blue bill, measuring around 43-48 cm in length and weighing 580-900g, with a wingspan of 62-70 cm. Females, slightly smaller and duller, exhibit a dark brown crown and a dark line across their whitish cheek, with ...
This highly aquatic species primarily inhabits shallow to deep freshwater or brackish wetlands, including large, open lakes, lagoons, and slow-moving rivers with dense emergent vegetation for nesting and cover. It prefers clear water with rich submerged vegetation for foraging, typically at low t...
Primarily consumes aquatic invertebrates (larvae, crustaceans, mollusks) and seeds, tubers, and vegetative parts of submerged aquatic plants. Forages by deep diving.
White-headed Ducks are largely diurnal, spending much of their day diving for food and resting on open water, often congregating in loose flocks outside the breeding season. Their foraging strategy is characterized by deep, prolonged dives, using their large feet for propulsion and their stiff ta...
The White-headed Duck has a highly fragmented and disjunct distribution across the Palearctic realm, primarily centered in Western, Central, and Eastern Asia, with isolated populations in the Mediterranean Basin. The main breeding strongholds include Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and parts of R...
Endangered
- The White-headed Duck can remain submerged for up to a minute during its foraging dives, using its stiff tail as a rudder. - Unlike most ducks, its tail feathers are stiff and spiky, often held upright like a fan, especially during courtship displays or when alert. - The male's striking sky-blu...