Oxyura leucocephala
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
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".
The white-headed duck was originally described as Anas leucocephala by Giovani Antonio Scopoli in 1769. It is currently in the genus Oxyura. Other generic synonyms used in the past include Erismatura, Cerconectes, Gymnura, Undina, Bythonessa, Plectrura, and Pervicauda. Other junior synonyms for the species include Anas mersa, Anas vindila, Anas ruthenica, and Oxyura unifasciata. Its scientific name comes from the Greek Oxyura (from oxus, "sharp", and oura... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le Pal | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Réserve africaine de Sigean | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Zoobotánico Jerez | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | San Diego Zoo Safari Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Whitcliff Park (Deer Park) | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Rostock Zoo | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Novosibirsk Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 10 | Woodland Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Wilhelma | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Centro Cicogne e Anatidi | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 14 | London Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 15 | L'Oceanogràfic | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 16 | Battersea Park Children's Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 17 | Animal Enclosure | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 18 | Blue Planet Aquarium | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 19 | Golders Hill Park Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 20 | Cologne Zoo Aquarium | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 21 | Kung Fu Corals | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Llys Nini | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 23 | Mořský svět | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 24 | ResQue Ranch Inc. | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 25 | Sea Life London Aquarium | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 26 | Take My Pet, Exotic Pet Rescue | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Duck sighting in Doñana National Park on a given day, based on 1,445 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 234 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Duck in Doñana National Park on a given day, against about 10% in December, the lowest month. Those are among Doñana National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 90 mm in October.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-headed Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Doñana National Park, in our data
Doñana National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate White-headed Duck sightings: about 30% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the White-headed Duck that you can see in Doñana National Park (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 70%), Greylag Goose (about 50%) and Northern Shoveler (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-headed Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Doñana National Park (1,445 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
