Bufflehead

Overview

The Bufflehead is the smallest diving duck in North America, nesting in tree cavities near boreal lakes and wintering widely on coastal and inland waters. Its most striking feature is the male's oversized, puffy-looking head, glossed in iridescent purple-green-black with a large white patch sweeping from behind the eye around the back of the crown. Females are much plainer, dark gray-brown with a small oval white patch on the cheek, and both sexes have a compact, rounded body shape.

Feather Identification

• Head patch: The male's head feathers form a large white wedge extending from behind the eye around the back of the crown, wrapping over an iridescent green-purple-black base - unmistakable among North American ducks of similar size.
• Body proportions: Densely packed body feathers give a compact, rounded silhouette; the head appears disproportionately large and puffy due to feather structure that can be raised or flattened.
• Back and flank contrast: A crisp black back contrasts with clean white flanks and underparts on breeding males.
• Female cheek patch: Females show a single small, oval white patch on an otherwise dark gray-brown cheek, much less extensive than the male's head patch.
• Wing pattern: A large white patch on the wing (formed by the secondaries and wing coverts) is conspicuous in flight on males, smaller and less bright on females.

Plumage Notes

Breeding males show glossy, iridescent dark head feathering (shifting between green and purple in different light) broken by a large white patch, plus a black back and white body. Females and immatures are gray-brown overall with a modest white cheek patch and duller wing patch. Eclipse males resemble females but often retain traces of the head patch and darker back feathering. The species undergoes a complete post-breeding molt, and juveniles resemble adult females until young males gradually acquire full head patterning.

Habitat & Range

Buffleheads breed in the boreal forest of Canada and Alaska, nesting in tree cavities - often old Northern Flicker holes - near small lakes and ponds. In winter, they disperse widely across North America to lakes, rivers, and coastal bays, favoring sheltered, relatively shallow water. The species is strongly migratory, moving south in fall and returning to northern breeding lakes in spring.

Behavior & Field Notes

Buffleheads are energetic divers, frequently submerging to forage on aquatic invertebrates in shallow water. They are usually seen in small groups or pairs rather than the massive rafts formed by some other diving ducks. Nesting in cavities is a distinctive trait among diving ducks, and pairs often return to the same nesting area in successive years. Flight is fast with rapid wingbeats, and the species is generally quiet, with soft chattering or growling calls given mainly during courtship and interactions.