Lophonetta specularioides
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% 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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Duck sighting in Torres del Paine National Park on a given day, based on 525 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 106 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Duck in Torres del Paine National Park on a given day, against about 10% in March and April, the lowest months.
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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Crested Duck sightings, Torres del Paine National Park ranks 4th at about 30%. The best odds are in Lauca National Park (Chile, about 60%), Tierra del Fuego National Park (Argentina, about 60%) and Península Valdés (Argentina, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Anatidae
The closest relatives of the Crested Duck that you can see in Torres del Paine National Park (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Upland Goose (about 80%), Yellow-billed Pintail (about 30%) and Chiloé Wigeon (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crested Duck is recorded against all the birds logged in Torres del Paine National Park (525 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.
