Tufted Duck

Tufted ducks are quite common here in Switzerland. They are mainly a winter migrant and reside in parks and rivers. On rivers, they congregate in large groups, sometimes flying up in large numbers, almost as if they have fun flying or exercising the stiff muscles.

In parks they are quite approachable and also in riverine areas you get a chance to see them flying past a lot as well. On rivers they dive for mussels and drift along the stream, flying back upstream again if they drift away too far from the group.

For a small bird as this duck is, they are extremely fast flyers.

Their day consists of feeding, sleeping and grooming.

Sleeping is a big term for their actual state, as the eyes open every other second.

Grooming is a sweet spectacle. They acrobat on their backs to reach the belly …

… washing is spraying a lot of water …

… stretch their legs …

… and finish all cleaning with a freeing wing flap.

In between all these activities they also just float around and it is alway nice to try and catch them ‘head-on’.

Finally an image of a drake in early breeding colors, where the white belly parts are brightening up. Soon after this, most Swiss Tufted ducks leave for Scandinavia to breed.

For more images from Switzerland, goto the Swiss Gallery.