The tufted duck is a medium-sized diving duck, smaller than a mallard. It is black. Aythya fuligula

The tufted duck is a medium-sized diving duck, smaller than a mallard. It is black on the head, neck, breast and back and white on the sides. It has a small crest and a yellow eye. In flight it shows an obvious white stripe across the back of the wing. It breeds in the UK across lowland areas of England, Scotland and Ireland, but less commonly in Wales, with most birds being residents. Numbers increase in the UK in winter because of birds moving to the UK from Iceland and northern Europe.

The tufted duck or tufted pochard is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek aithuia, an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin fuligo "soot" and gula "throat

What they eat:
Molluscs, insects and some plants.
Measurements:
Length: 40-47cm
Wingspan: 67-73cm
Weight: 450-1,000g
Population:
UK breeding: 16,500-19,000 pairs
UK wintering: 140,000 birds