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Birds and Butterflies of Rhodes
RODOPTERA
Aythya fuligula
Tufted duck (male). Greek: μαυρoκέφαλη πάπια (αρσενική). Gadouras reservoir, April 2022.
Passage migrant, uncommon. Length 40-46 cm, wingspan 65-72 cm. Male black overall with bright white flanks and floppy crest, female dark to light brown overall with short crest. Both sexes with distinctive gold-yellow eye and bold white wing stripe. Reservoirs, coastal lagoons, river mouths with reed beds. Forages mainly by diving, sometimes at night, takes molluscs, aquatic plants, insects. Flocks with other duck species. Runs on water surface to take off.
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