The male white-headed duck is not fully white-headed but has a black cap. The duck comes from the Iberian Peninsula, north Africa and western and Central Asia.

The male has more white on face and nape than his relative the North American Ruddy Duck; the latter, introduced to Europe, has caused problems by breeding with the limited Spanish population. Both are "stiff tail" species and have a large-based, turquoise beak and spiky tail.

The female white-headed duck has very little white on her head, mainly on the lower face and obscured by a dark brown cheek stripe. She also has an over-sized base of the beak typical of the species but brown rather than turquoise.