Little Duck. Big Head.
By Debbie Wiggins, Golden Eagle Guest Blogger
The Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) can go unnoticed in a crowd of more colorful ducks such as Mallards, Wood Ducks, and Northern Shovelers. It doesn’t help that the Bufflehead is one of our smallest ducks. Don’t let their size deter you from taking a close look at Buffleheads when you visit Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve, Kathryn Albertson Park or Deer Flat NWA.
Male and female Buffleheads are a contrast in size and color. She is actually (but not obviously) smaller than he is, and subtly-colored with dark brown on head, back, and wings, pale gray underneath. She has an oval white cheek patch, and a small white wing patch.
Female Bufflehead by Louisa Evers
The male appears black and white from a distance. Up close this translates to a black head which is a stunning iridescent purple and green in the right light. He has a black back and wings, and a large white wing patch which is best seen in flight. His most identifiable characteristic is the wide white band across the back of his head, extending from ear to ear; makes him look like he’s wearing big white ear-muffs.
Male Bufflehead by Louisa Evers
Nicknames Abound
Buffalo-Head references the disproportionately large domed head, particularly that of the male. Bumblebee Duck is for their small size and fast, buzzy flight. Butterball refers to the appearance of the duck before southbound migration, having put on an extra layer of fat as energy reserve. Spirit Duck refers to Bufflehead’s habit of disappearing underwater while diving for food, then reappearing shortly thereafter.
Have Some Dignity
You’ll never see a Bufflehad ‘butt-up’. They are diving ducks which disappear from the surface of the water when they feed, only to pop up like little corks some distance from where they started. The legs of diving ducks are placed nearer to the rear of the body than the middle, mechanically enabling them to dive fast and deep. To their disadvantage, they are a bit front-heavy so they don’t walk well on land, and need a running start across the water to help them achieve flight. Having said all that, Buffleheads have a very abbreviated run-to-flight distance. And, they are shallow divers, grabbing food only 3-5 feet beneath the water’s surface.
Follow the Northern Flicker
Buffleheads spend the winter in ice-free bodies of water like Lake Lowell and Hyatt Hidden Lakes. They generally arrive in late fall (Oct/Nov) and return to their breeding grounds at in spring (Apr/May). Once there, a unique courtship ensues. Pairs are mostly monogamous and the bond may last for years.
It is the female who chooses the nest site, almost always a cavity formerly occupied by a Northern Flicker; the entrance opening may be as small as 2.5 inches. She lines the nest only with down and lays 8-10 eggs which she incubates for about a month. Said cavity nest is usually 2-10 feet above the ground/water but may be as high as 50 feet. That may seem neither here-nor-there, except that the female never feeds the hatchlings, but coaxes them from the nest when they are only 2 days old. The family heads immediately into the water, where mom continues to tend the chicks while they learn to forage for food on their own.
Female Bufflehead and chicks at Sagehen Reservoir by Linda Wentz