Meet the Bufflehead, the Smallest Diving Duck in North America

This unique diving duck has a small body and a relatively large head. The males are colorful and vibrant, with iridescent heads that appear black, purple, or green depending on the light. Buffleheads are migratory and return to the same nesting site year after year. Unlike many other duck species, they are monogamous, keeping the same mating partner for years.

Size and Appearance

Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) grow to be about 15 inches long and weigh only about a pound. When they stretch their wings, their wingspan measures about 24 inches. The males look different from the females. Females are grayish-brown with a patch of white on their cheeks. Males are very striking with glossy plumage of green and purple. Both males and females have a small, chubby appearance with large heads. Experts say the name bufflehead is thought to have come from “buffalo head.” Its scientific name, Bucephala albeola, roughly translates to large-headed with a little white. Buffleheads have many nicknames, including spirit duck and butterball.

Where Are Buffleheads Found?

Buffleheads are migratory ducks. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, they can be found in the winter along North American coastlines. They have been spotted from Newfoundland to Florida and Alaska to Mexico. In the spring, they head to their summer breeding grounds in western and central Canada.

Buffleheads use abandoned holes made by Northern flickers in northern North American forests as their nesting sites. Northern flickers are large woodpeckers, and their holes are perfectly sized for buffleheads. They will also nest in manmade boxes placed near their habitats, which include harbors, sheltered beaches, ponds, and lakes. By nesting off the ground, these little ducks can protect their eggs and young from predators such as foxes and raccoons.

Evolution and History: Modern Conservation Efforts

The earliest bufflehead fossils date back to the Late Pleistocene era, which occurred around 129,000 to 11,700 years ago. However, an even older fossil found in California, dating back two million years, looks very similar to a modern-day bufflehead. Buffleheads, native to North America, experienced population declines in the 20th century due to overhunting and habitat loss. However, the Migratory Birds Convention, an agreement between the United States and Canada, aided conservation efforts for this small bird. Today, duck hunting is carefully regulated. Unfortunately, in addition to hunting, buffleheads are at risk of losing their nesting sites as forests are cleared for development and agriculture. If you live near a bufflehead breeding area, you can help by installing manmade nest boxes.

How Diving Ducks Hunt for Their Food

Like all diving ducks, buffleheads dive underwater to forage for food. When they spot their prey, they dive, disappearing for about 15 to 25 seconds before resurfacing. Their diet varies based on location. In salt water, they eat shellfish, shrimp, crabs, and snails. In freshwater, they feast on insect larvae, freshwater snails, and aquatic insects, including dragonflies.

They are strong swimmers and can dive in a flash to grab their food. They are strong swimmers and can dive quickly to grab their food. Their legs are situated far back on their bodies, making them perfectly designed for diving.

Fast Flyers

Although they are fast swimmers, their leg placement makes walking on land cumbersome. You probably won’t see them walking much, except when a mother duck is leading her ducklings to water. However, they are fast flyers and can reach speeds of nearly 50 miles per hour. They migrate in small flocks and typically travel at night.

Buffleheads are unique flyers compared to other diving ducks. While most diving ducks need to run across the water’s surface to gain enough momentum for takeoff, buffleheads can fly straight up out of the water. They tend to fly high over land but low over water.

How Long Do Bufflehead Ducklings Stay with Their Mothers?

Buffleheads form mated pairs that stay together for at least a few years. The males court the females by flying low over them and bobbing their heads. Once the pair has mated, the female lays a clutch of about 8 to 10 eggs in a tree nest.

Once the ducklings hatch, they leave the nest after only one or two days. At this time, the mother leads them to water near their nesting site. The chicks are nearly independent from an early age and quickly learn to forage for their own food. Their mother protects them until they become independent at around three to six weeks old.