Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola · Bird, Vertebrate, Warm-blooded, Wild
Animal Family
Family Anatidae, Order Anseriformes, Class Aves
Animal Category
Waterfowl
Breed / Variety
Monomorphic species with no distinct formal subspecies, though males show striking sexual dimorphism compared to females
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, with a stable population trend. Protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Main threats include loss of mature forest nesting trees and wetland degradation from pollution or development.
About This Creature
The bufflehead is the smallest diving duck in North America. Males have a large, puffy head with a striking white patch extending from behind the eye over the crown, iridescent purple and green gloss, a dark back, and largely white underparts. Females are dusky gray-brown with a small white oval patch on the cheek. Length ranges from 32 to 40 cm, wingspan from 55 to 60 cm, and weight from 270 to 550 grams.
Physical Characteristics
Compact body, short neck, and a relatively large, rounded head. Features broad wings adapted for fast flight and large, pinkish-orange or fleshy-colored webbed feet positioned far back on the body for efficient diving and underwater propulsion. The bill is short, stout, and dark gray, perfect for foraging small aquatic invertebrates.
Behavior & Temperament
Highly aquatic and an agile diver. Social during winter, forming small flocks, but solitary or territorial pairs during the breeding season. Diurnal. Communication includes low-pitched squeaks and grunts, and visual head-bobbing displays. Excellent flyers capable of taking off directly from the water.
Habitat & Diet
Origin Region
North America, breeding extensively in the boreal forest and aspen parkland regions of Canada and Alaska, wintering along the coasts and inland waters of the United States and Mexico
Habitat
Wetland/Marsh, Freshwater lakes and ponds during breeding season; sheltered marine bays, estuaries, and coastal waters during winter. Aquatic and aerial locomotion.
Diet & Nutrition
Carnivorous/Insectivorous diving duck. Diet consists largely of aquatic insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish, which it captures by diving underwater. Requires high-protein food sources, especially during the breeding season.
Lifespan & Health
Lifespan in the wild averages up to 5 to 7 years, with some individuals living over a decade. Predators include raptors, large gulls, and mammals like minks targeting nests in tree cavities. Females lay clutches of 6 to 11 creamy-white eggs inside natural tree cavities, often old flicker holes.
Special Characteristics
Remarkable diving ability, able to plunge straight down from the surface to catch prey deep underwater. Distinctive head shape gives it the name 'buffalo-head,' later shortened to bufflehead. Relies exclusively on natural tree cavities (primarily carved by flickers) for nesting.
Ecological Information
Acts as an important secondary consumer in aquatic food webs, helping regulate populations of aquatic insects and small crustaceans. Cavity nesting behaviors link forest ecosystems with wetland habitats.