Bufflehead

Bufflehead, male

About the photographs

About the map

Play sound from this species

Bufflehead, female

Menu

1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

The smallest diving duck in North America, the Bufflehead breeds in ponds and small lakes in Canada, and winters in much of the United States. It nests in tree cavities as well as in nest boxes.

Description

• Small diving duck.
• Black-and-white.
• Small gray bill.
• White patch on side of head.

• Size: 32-40 cm (13-16 in)
• Wingspan: 55 cm (22 in)
• Weight: 272-635 g (9.6-22.42 ounces)

Sex Differences

Male with white sides, black back and head, and large white patch on head. Female duller and darker, with gray sides and small white patch on head.

Sound

Usually silent. Courtship display includes guttural chattering. Male may give squeal or growl in late winter or spring; females give a throaty cluck when seeking nests in summer.

Conservation Status

In the early 20th century, shooting had reduced Bufflehead population numbers significantly, but between 1955 and 1992, surveys indicate that numbers more than doubled, despite large year-to-year fluctuations.

Other Names

Petit Garrot (French)
Pato chillón chico (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Bufflehead nests almost exclusively in holes excavated by Northern Flickers and, on occasion, by Pileated Woodpeckers.
• Unlike most ducks, the Bufflehead is mostly monogamous, often remaining with the same mate for several years.

• The Bufflehead lays eggs more slowly than most other ducks, commonly with intervals of two or three days between eggs.

Sources used to construct this page:

1. Bellrose, F. C. 1976. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.
2. Gauthier, Gilles. 1993. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola). In The Birds of North America, No. 67 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.