Bufflehead
Written by: Leslie Dixon
- The Bufflehead, Bucephala Albeola, is one of the smallest ducks found in Colorado. They can be seen in small groups on local waters during winter.
- Males are mostly white with a black back, neck, and “forehead” that glistens green in certain light. The females are a drab gray brown with an oval white patch on the cheek. At 13-16 inches long, their wingspan is 21-22 inches.
- As diving ducks, Buffleheads forage underwater for insects, plants, and mollusks at depths up to 15 feet.
- Buffleheads breed near lakes in the boreal forests or taiga of Alaska and Canada. They winter in open water in the coastal and southern US, including Colorado.
- The monogamous Buffleheads nest in tree cavities, usually in former Flicker nests. The female will lay 6-11 eggs which require 30 days of incubation. A day after the last duckling hatches, all will leap from the nest, and be led to the water. Fledging takes about 50-55 days.
- Buffleheads are in the same genus (Bucephala) as the Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes.
- Their name is derived from the puffy buffalo-shaped head of the male.
- Buffleheads are common and widespread across their range, and their populations are considered stable.
Sources: volunteer Leslie Dixon, Sibley's Field Guide to Western Birds of North America, Wikipedia
