Lophonetta specularioides
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The crested duck or South American crested duck (Lophonetta specularioides) is a species of duck native to South America, belonging to the monotypic genus Lophonetta. It is sometimes included in Anas, but it belongs to a South American clade that diverged early in dabbling duck evolution. There are two subspecies: L. specularioides alticola (Andean crested duck) and L. specularioides specularioides (Patagonian crested duck). The Patagonian crested duck is also called the southern crested duck and its range lies in the Falklands, Chile, and Argentina.
The crested duck is a medium-sized waterfowl species, with adult males reaching up to just over a kilogram. Males and females look similar, with males having a slightly more prominent crest than females. The feathers of the mantle, back and scapulars are dark brown with pale centers, giving a mottled appearance. The abdomen, flanks and tail coverts are light gray, with the tail itself being distinctly elongated and black. The upperwing is gray brown to light brown, with the secondaries having an iridescent coppery to greenish sheen, with a broad back band behind, narrowly edged with white. Juveniles are similar but lack... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Slimbridge Wetland Centre | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Bird Paradise | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 5 | Rainforest Wild Asia | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 6 | L'Oceanogràfic | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Arequipa zoo | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 8 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 9 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Duck sighting in Península Valdés on a given day, based on 275 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 96 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Duck in Península Valdés on a given day, against about 40% in April, the lowest month. June and July have too few records to rate.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crested Duck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Crested Duck sightings, Península Valdés ranks 3rd at about 50%. The best odds are in Lauca National Park (Chile, about 60%) and Tierra del Fuego National Park (Argentina, about 60%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crested Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Península Valdés (275 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.
