The crested duck (Tadorna cristata) is a group of birds of the family Anatidae, inhabiting lakes, rivers, ponds, salt ponds, estuarine marshes, and grasslands. Mixing with other duck species. They live in pairs during breeding period and in family groups and small groups during non-breeding period. People are hard to approach. ,
It mainly feeds on aquatic plant leaves, buds, seeds, crop seedlings, grains and other plant foods, but also eats insects, crustaceans, mollusks, shrimp, water frogs, earthworms, small frogs and small fish and other animal foods. Foraging occurs at dusk and early in the morning, and sometimes during the day.
Sexual maturity at 2 ages. Breeding season May to July. It usually breeds in open plains, and the union of pairs is relatively fixed. Nests are made in natural caves or other animal abandoned burrows and tombs on open plains grasslands, as well as in earth holes and stone caves on mountains and lake islands. The nest consists of a small amount of dead grass and a large amount of downy feathers. Clutch size 6-10 eggs. Carried by the female alone, the male keeps watch near the nest, calls loudly to warn when in danger, and sometimes flies to intimidate the intruder in an aggressive posture. The female covers her eggs with feathers when she leaves the nest, and then goes out to forage with the male. After the end of foraging, the male flies back to the nest with the female, and then leaves the female to roost near the nest. The incubation period is 27-30 days, and the chicks hatch in early May. Hatched chicks swim with their parents in ponds and streams, and immediately hide in the grass on the shore after seeing people. The chicks are born early, covered with feathers, and can swim and dive. There is also information that after hatching, the chicks are usually carried from the nest area to the water by the parent bird. When swimming in the water, the chicks often climb on the backs of their parents to play, and the chicks have the ability to fly after about 50 days of fledgling life under the leadership of their parents.