Bucephala albeola

A small, teal-sized duck (13-15 inches), the male Bufflehead may be most easily identified by the large white patch on the back of its head. Other distinguishing characteristics include its iridescent green head, white body, and patchy black-and-white wings visible in flight. The female Bufflehead is dull brown above with a white belly, light brown flanks, and a smaller white patch behind the eye. Duck hunters refer to this species as the “butterball” in reference to the male’s large white head patch. The Bufflehead breeds primarily in west-central Canada, in central Alaska, and at higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains. Small numbers of Buffleheads breed elsewhere in western North America, extending east to the Great Lakes. This species migrates south for the winter, when it may be found unevenly distributed across the southern half of North America. Buffleheads are found locally in the interior of their winter range, but are more common along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts north to Nova Scotia and Alaska, respectively. In summer, Buffleheads breed on ponds and lakes near forests. Buffleheads are particularly attracted to forests inhabited by the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) because this species builds its nest in old Flicker nest cavities. In winter, Buffleheads may be found on sheltered saltwater bays and estuaries or, inland, on large lakes or rivers. This species primarily eats small animals, such as crustaceans, mollusks, and insects when available. One of several species of “diving ducks” in North America, Buffleheads may be observed submerging themselves to feed in the water or on the bottom. In winter, they may also be observed in small flocks on large, slow-moving bodies of water. This species is primarily active during the day.

Threat Status: Least concern

The Bufflehead ranges predominantly through boreal forests and aspen parklands of Canada and Alaska, with the highest density in British Columbia and Alberta. Their nonbreeding range extends through the contential United States into Northern Mexico.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

Breeds n North America; winters to Mexico and Greater Antilles.

Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, North West Atlantic, Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone, Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone, United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone, Wimereux

North America; Newfoundland to Florida

The Bufflehead ranges predominantly through boreal forests and aspen parklands of Canada and Alaska, with the highest density in British Columbia and Alberta. Their nonbreeding range extends through the contential United States into Northern Mexico.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDING: central Alaska, Mackenzie Delta, northern Prairie Provinces, northern Ontario, south to northern Washington, northern Montana; locally south to the mountains of Oregon, northern California, and northern Colorado (Andrews and Righter 1992). NON-BREEDING: Aleutians, Alaska Peninsula, Great Lakes, New Brunswick and Newfoundland, south to Baja California, mainland Mexico, Gulf Coast, Florida; occasionally in Hawaii. The most abundant wintering populations include those around Vancouver Island, along the Atlantic coast from the Bay of Fundy to Chesapeake Bay, and in northern California-southern Oregon, Mississippi, eastern New Mexico (Root 1988).

The Bufflehead is a small diving duck, with males at the upper end of the weight range and females at the lower end. Buffleheads are compact, with a short neck and a short narrow grey bill. The sexes are strongly dimorphic. Breeding males have a black head marked with purple and green, along with a black back and wings. They are white underneath, as well as having a white patch over their head from their eyes covering their ear region. Females are dark brown with pale grey underneath and a less distinct white head patch.

Range mass: 297 to 551 g.

The Bufflehead is a small diving duck, with males at the upper end of the weight range and females at the lower end. Buffleheads are compact, with a short neck and a short narrow grey bill. The sexes are strongly dimorphic. Breeding males have a black head marked with purple and green, along with a black back and wings. They are white underneath, as well as having a white patch over their head from their eyes covering their ear region. Females are dark brown with pale grey underneath and a less distinct white head patch.

Range mass: 297 to 551 g.

Length: 34 cm

Weight: 473 grams

Buffleheads seek out either small lakes or permanent freshwater ponds with no outlet. Perhaps because they seem to depend on the nesting cavities of the Northern Flicker, their habitat is coincident with its habitat. It includes poplar or aspen stands or coniferous forests mixed with poplars or aspens. Bufflehead will nest in prairie habitats only when stands of trees and water are present close by.

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater
• Marine

Buffleheads seek out either small lakes or permanent freshwater ponds with no outlet. Perhaps because they seem to depend on the nesting cavities of the Northern Flicker, their habitat is coincident with its habitat. It includes poplar or aspen stands or coniferous forests mixed with poplars or aspens. Bufflehead will nest in prairie habitats only when stands of trees and water are present close by.

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds

Depth range based on 62174 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 1 sample.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 0
  Temperature range (°C): 16.537 - 16.537
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.165 - 0.165
  Salinity (PPS): 33.352 - 33.352
  Oxygen (ml/l): 5.634 - 5.634
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.362 - 0.362
  Silicate (umol/l): 2.470 - 2.470
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Comments: BREEDING: Lakes, ponds, rivers and seacoasts (AOU 1983). Breeds in tree cavities in mixed coniferous-deciduous woodland near lakes and ponds (AOU 1983). Usually nests in natural tree cavities, or abandoned flicker holes. Females often nest in same site in successive years. NON-BREEDING: wintering on sheltered bays and estuaries as well as open freshwater situations (AOU 1983).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Migrates northward February-April. Begins moving southward from October into November.

Buffleheads feed in open, shallow water. They dive for their food, which they swallow while still underwater. This includes both freshwater and saltwater aquatic invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, and molluscs). They also eat some seeds, chiefly seeds of pondweeds and bulrushes.

Buffleheads feed in open, shallow water. They dive for their food, which they swallow while still underwater. This includes both freshwater and saltwater aquatic invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, and molluscs). They also eat some seeds, chiefly seeds of pondweeds and bulrushes.

Comments: In fresh water feeds on aquatic insects, snails, amphipods, small fishes, and some aquatic plants. In salt water eats crustaceans, molluscs, fishes, and some aquatic plants. Often feeds in small groups, diving or watching for danger.

>1,000,000 individuals

Usually seen in small groups of twos or threes. Female strongly defends brood territory. In British Columbia, breeding density not limited by nest sites but rather by territorial behavior (Gauthier and Smith 1987); also, may be excluded from some ponds at high Barrow's goldeneye densities (Savard et al. 1991).

Comments: Usually migrates at night.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 224 months.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 224 months.

Maximum longevity: 18.7 years (wild)

Unlike most ducks, Buffleheads form long term monogamous pair bonds. They nest in cavities excavated by Colaptes auratus or in nest boxes. They do not modify nests once they have selected a nesting site. Egg laying occurs in early May, with each female producing 6 to 11 eggs. Females incubate the eggs alone, taking two 80 minute recesses per day. Eggs are incubated for 28 to 33 days. After hatching, the young remain at the nest for about one day, then the female leads them to the nearest water. She cares for the young alone, but never feeds them. Rather, she protects a set territory which provides the ducklings with a safe area to find food. Occasionally territiorial disputes between females arise, sometimes leading to the death of ducklings.

Range eggs per season: 6 to 11.

Range time to hatching: 28 to 33 days.

Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)

Average eggs per season: 8.

Unlike most ducks, Buffleheads form long term monogamous pair bonds. They nest in cavities excavated by northern flickers or in nest boxes. They do not modify nests once they have selected a nesting site. Egg laying occurs in early May, with each female producing 6 to 11 eggs. Females incubate the eggs alone, taking two 80 minute recesses per day. Eggs are incubated for 28 to 33 days. After hatching, the young remain at the nest for about one day, then the female leads them to the nearest water. She cares for the young alone, but never feeds them. Rather, she protects a set territory which provides the ducklings with a safe area to find food. Occasionally territiorial disputes between females arise, sometimes leading to the death of ducklings.

Range eggs per season: 6 to 11.

Range time to hatching: 28 to 33 days.

Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)

Average eggs per season: 8.

Breeding begins mid-May in south to early June in north (Harrison 1978). Clutch size 6-11 (avg. 7-9). Incubation 28-33 days, by female (Terres 1980). In British Columbia, mean hatching date is mid- to late June (Savard et al. 1991). Young tended by female, fly 50-55 days after hatching. First breeds at 2 yr.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 8 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 8
Specimens with Barcodes: 8
Species With Barcodes: 1

While Buffleheads are not prized among duck hunters, they make up about 2% of sport hunting in the U.S. and Canada. This causes a potential problem, since the tendency for ducks to return to their breeding ground year after year coupled with local overharvesting can cause devastation of local populations. Further, clear-cut lumbering threatens their boreal forest habitats. Nesting boxes provide a possible solution for this problem; however, these boxes must be the correct size and location, or other cavity-nesters may exclude Bufflehead. Currently, Bufflehead populations appear to be in good condition; they are among the few species of duck whose numbers have grown since the mid-1950's. Careful monitoring should continue, however, to insure that lumbering and overhunting do not come to threaten their populations.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

US Migratory Bird Act: protected

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

While Buffleheads are not prized among duck hunters, they make up about 2% of sport hunting in the U.S. and Canada. This causes a potential problem, since the tendency for ducks to return to their breeding ground year after year coupled with local overharvesting can cause devastation of local populations. Further, clear-cut lumbering threatens their boreal forest habitats. Nesting boxes provide a possible solution for this problem; however, these boxes must be the correct size and location, or other cavity-nesters may exclude Bufflehead. Currently, Bufflehead populations appear to be in good condition; they are among the few species of duck whose numbers have grown since the mid-1950's. Careful monitoring should continue, however, to insure that lumbering and overhunting do not come to threaten their populations.

US Migratory Bird Act: protected

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Global Long Term Trend: Increase of 10-25% to decline of 30%

Comments: Populations increased in the northeastern U.S., 1927-1966; during the same period, populations increased slightly in the Great Lakes region and the southeastern U.S., and declined in the West (Bellrose 1980).

Management Requirements: Will use nest boxes (see Gauthier 1988 for specifications and recommendations on placement); should be at least 30 cm deep, at least 100 m apart, close to water in dense forest dominated by conifers.

Buffleheads are hunted for sport throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Buffleheads are hunted for sport throughout the U.S. and Canada.