Status in UK:
(A) Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies:
Monotypic
.
Length:
44 cm
Wingspan:
70 cm
Weight:
M/F: 760 g
Scientific name from:
Gr.: aithuia=a seabird described by Aristotle
and L.: fuligo=soot + gula=throat
World Distribution:
BREEDS: Europe, n&c Asia, WINTERS: south to n Africa & se Asia
Habitat:
Marshes, lakes, on migration also rivers, estuaries
Diet:
Omnivorous, feeds on mud bottom mostly by diving
TitBit:
The rapid expansion of the Tufted Duck in Britain during the late 19th/early 20th century is probably due to the colonisation of Britain by Zebra Mussels (brought into London docks in the 1820s).