Tufted duck  (Aythya fuligula)

The tufted duck is a reasonably common species in the UK, with a breeding population thought to number around 8000 pairs. Wintering birds increase this figure to nearly 70,000 individuals and, across Europe and Russia, numbers may be as high as one million.

Tufted ducks enjoy general protection in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (as amended). However, they can be shot between 1 September and 31 January during the wildfowling season. Of the main over wintering sites in the UK, by far the biggest are Lough Neagh and Lough Beg in Northern Ireland. The bird is listed as a Species of Conservation Importance under UK legislation, and is also a Species of European Conservation Concern.