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Help develop a Bird ID tool!

Bufflehead

Bucephala albeola ORDER: ANSERIFORMES FAMILY: ANATIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

A buoyant, large-headed duck that abruptly vanishes and resurfaces as it feeds, the tiny Bufflehead spends winters bobbing in bays, estuaries, reservoirs, and lakes. Males are striking black-and white from a distance. A closer look at the head shows glossy green and purple setting off the striking white patch. Females are a subdued gray-brown with a neat white patch on the cheek. Bufflehead nest in old woodpecker holes, particularly those made by Northern Flickers, in the forests of northern North America.

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Keys to identification Help

Ducks
Ducks
Typical Voice

  • Size & Shape

    Bufflehead are very small, compact ducks with large, rounded heads and short, wide bills.

  • Color Pattern

    Adult male Bufflehead have a white body, black back, and a dark head with a large white patch that wraps around the back of the head. Females and first-year males are gray-brown overall with an oval, white cheek patch. In flight adult males have a large white patch on the upperwing; females and first-year males have a smaller white wing patch.

  • Behavior

    Bufflehead dive underwater to catch aquatic invertebrates. When courting females, male Buffleheads swim in front of them, rapidly bobbing their heads up and down. In flight, you can identify Bufflehead by noting their small size, fast wingbeats, and pattern of rocking side-to side as they fly.

  • Habitat

    Bufflehead are most widespread in migration and winter, when they move south to coasts and large bodies of water, particularly shallow saltwater bays. They breed near lakes in northern forests where conifers mix with poplars or aspens. Bufflehead nest in tree cavities, especially old Northern Flicker holes.

Range Map Help

Bufflehead Range Map
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Field MarksHelp

Similar Species

Similar Species

Adult male Hooded Mergansers have long crests with a larger white head patch than Bufflehead; they also have chestnut-brown, not white, sides. Adult male Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes have a more triangular head with a smaller white spot that is in front of the eye rather than the Bufflehead’s large patch behind the eye. Female and immature Harlequin Ducks have multiple white spots on the face instead of the single cheek spot of a female Bufflehead. Adult male Ruddy Ducks have a large white cheek patch that touches the bill and does not touch the back of the head. Female and young male Ruddy Ducks have a dark line that runs across the large, pale patch on the face.

Backyard Tips

Bufflehead will take up residence in nest boxes during the summer in forested areas of central and western Canada. They’re more likely to choose a small box (6 x 6 x 15 inches) with a 2.5-inch-diameter opening than a large box (7 x 7 x 15 inches or bigger) with a larger opening.

Find This Bird

During the winter, look for these tiny, black-and-white ducks in sheltered coves along the Atlantic or Pacific coast, or on inland ponds in southern North America. While foraging they spend half their time underwater, so scan carefully and patiently. In the summer you can visit their breeding grounds near lakes in the boreal forest and aspen parklands of central Canada.