49. White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala)

The White-headed Duck is classed as endangered by the IUCN due to recent rapid declines in its population. Within Europe it is only resident in Spain, but is also found in the Middle East and towards Central Asia. In Spain its population has been brought back from the brink of extinction in the 1970s to a healthy population of a few thousand individuals thanks to concerted conservation efforts, good work Spain!

White-headed Duck, ©milesmilob, via Flickr Creative Commons.

White-headed Duck sketch.

Went off the edge slightly, oops. I didn't quite get the bill right either, the base of it is really swollen in appearance in real life, maybe I was worried about overdoing it slightly but it has led to mine looking slightly deflated!