white headed duck

Swollen base to bill, and pointed tail which is often held erect. Breeding male has white head with black cap, and bright blue bill. Eclipse male has duller, less rufous body, grey bill, and black of cap more extensive and less clearly defined. Female and juvenile have grey bill, and striped head pattern (with dark cap. pale stripe below eye and dark stripe across cheeks). Immature male can have much black on head, which can even be all black

Prefers to escape by diving or by swimming away while partially submerged. Large fresh waters, lakes and brackish lagoons with extensive submerged aquatic vegetation Globally threatened.

These birds dive and swim under water. They are omnivorous, with vegetable matter predominating. They are reluctant to fly, preferring to swim for cover.

The white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) is a small diving duck some 45 cm (18 in) long. The male has a white head with black crown a blue bill and reddish-grey plumage. The female has a dark bill and rather duller colouring. Its breeding habitat is lakes with open water and dense vegetation at the margin. It dives under water and feeds on aquatic vegetation as well as some animal matter. It is more likely to swim away from a perceived threat than to fly. This duck is known from Spain North Africa Western Asia and Central Asia. Populations are declining mostly due to loss of habitat and pollution and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the bird's status as "endangered". Adult males have a grey and reddish body a blue bill and a largely white head with a black cap and neck. Adult females have a grey-brown body with a white face and a darker bill cap and cheek stripe. Length is 43&ndash48 cm (17&ndash19 in) and weight is 580&ndash750 g (1.28&ndash1.65 lb). This duck breeds in Spain and North Africa with a larger population in western and central Asia. Their breeding habitat is large tracts of open water such as lakes and ponds including artificial water bodies with dense stands of aquatic plants to provide shelter and nesting sites. Individuals are fairly frequently reported well north of their breeding range but as with many wildfowl the status of these extralimital records is clouded by the possibility of escapes from collections.