Travel thousands of km from Europe and Central Asia in winte
Aurangabad: A flock of Tufted Ducks (Shendi Badak) has been spotted at Jayakwadi Dam, after at least seven to eight years. Bird watchers spotted the flock while bird watching on November 27. These ducks travel thousands of kilometers from Europe and Central Asia in the winter in search of food. The experts said that it is rare to spot these ducks in Marathwada region.
Males and females are different in appearance. The male is glossy black in color with whitish side wings. A large dark crest on the head and a yellowish eye. The female is milky brown in color with pale wing sides. The eye of the female is dark yellow. The female also has the crest. Its size is 40 to 45 cm. This bird that lives in flocks can be seen in lakes, reservoirs, sea and freshwater lakes. It searches for its food by diving into the water. It feeds on algae, aquatic plants, seeds, molluscs and other small aquatic animals.
Birds only arrive in winter
About 7 to 8 years ago, only one to two birds were spotted on the Jayakwadi dam. Now a flock of these birds was spotted. The team was surprised to see such a large flock of birds on the water, said honorary wildlife warden Dr Kishore Pathak.