A waterbird with red eyes and a slender, slightly upturned bill.
In breeding plumage, the head and neck are black, with golden tufts behind the eyes. In winter plumage, the cheeks and area behind the eyes are white.
In Britain during the breeding season, it favors quiet, shallow lakes and pools with abundant aquatic plants.
In Britain, both sexes incubate. The usual clutch is 3–4 eggs, and typical incubation lasts about 20–22 days.
In North America, it feeds on aquatic invertebrates, especially brine shrimp and brine flies. It catches prey by diving, pecking at the surface, or dipping its head just underwater.
In North American nonbreeding plumage, the cheeks are grayish and the chin white, with the dark crown extending below the red eye. Immatures have brownish necks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.