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Bufflehead

Bucephala albeola

The bufflehead is a small, chunky, energetic diving duck that visits the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers from autumn through spring.

Appearance:

• Small, chunky body
• Males and females have different patterns and coloring
• Males are mostly white with a black back. They have a glossy, greenish-black head with a large white patch on the back that looks like a bonnet.
• Females have a whitish-gray chest and a grayish-brown back, head and wings. They have a white patch on their wings and a small white smudge on their cheeks.
• Short neck
• Short, gray bill
• Grows to about 15 inches with a wingspan of 24 inches

Habitat:

• Flocks can be found on the open waters and adjacent wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers
• Also lives on freshwater lakes and ponds throughout the Bay watershed

Range:

• Visits the Bay region from autumn through spring, with a peak in November
• Begins to arrive in October
• Migrates back to its northern breeding grounds between mid-April and May

Feeding:

• Eats a variety of aquatic plants and small animals, including insects, mollusks, crustaceans and small fish
• Dives for its prey and swallows it whole while still underwater

Predators:

• Minks, weasels, hawks, falcons and bald eagles may prey on buffleheads
• One bufflehead will usually watch for predators while the others in its flock dive for food

Flight:

• Takes off by flying straight up from the water. This is different than most diving ducks, which run across the water’s surface before taking off.
• Flies low over the water and high over the land
• Can be identified in flight by its black-and-white patterns and white wing patches

Voice:

• Usually silent during winter, when it is not breeding season
• Males may make a hoarse squeak or squeal
• Female’s call is a weak, harsh quack

Reproduction and Life Cycle:

• Does not nest and breed in the Bay region
• Breeding grounds are located mostly in Alaska and northern Canada
• Unlike most ducks, buffleheads are monogamous and stay with the same mate for several years
• Can live as long as 12-15 years

Other Facts:

• Also known as butterballs
• The smallest diving duck in North America
• Buffleheads are constantly moving, either swimming along the water’s surface or diving underneath in search of food
• Like other diving ducks, buffleheads are clumsy on land because their legs are located far back on the body.

Sources and Additional Information:

• Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
• Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
• Animal Diversity Web: Bucephala albeola – University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
• Waterfowl ID: Bufflehead – Ducks Unlimited
• All About Birds: Bufflehead – The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Places:

• Sandy Point State Park – Annapolis, Maryland
• Parkers Creek Watershed Nature Preserve – Prince Frederick, Maryland
• Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge – Rock Hall, Maryland
• Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area – Queenstown, Maryland
• Janes Island State Park – Crisfield, Maryland
• Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge – Lorton, Virginia
• Westmoreland State Park – Montross, Virginia
• York River State Park – Williamsburg, Virginia
• Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve – Portsmouth, Virginia
• First Landing State Park – Virginia Beach, Virginia