About Oxyura leucocephala (Scopoli, 1769)
Description: Adult males of Oxyura leucocephala have a grey and reddish body, a blue bill, and a mostly white head marked with a black cap and black neck. Adult females have a grey-brown body, a white face, and a darker bill, darker cap, and a darker cheek stripe. The species ranges 43–48 cm (17–19 in) in length, and weighs 580–750 g (1.28–1.65 lb).
Distribution and habitat: This duck breeds in Spain, North Africa, and has a larger breeding population in western and central Asia. Its breeding habitat consists of large expanses of open water—including natural lakes, ponds, and artificial water bodies—that hold dense stands of aquatic plants to provide shelter and nesting sites. Individuals are reported fairly regularly well north of their documented breeding range, but like many types of wildfowl, the status of these extralimital sightings is uncertain because they may be individuals that escaped from captive collections.
