473:
481:
502:. Due to their small size, they are highly active, undertaking dives almost continuously while sustained by their high metabolism. They do not tend to collect in large flocks; groups are usually limited to small numbers. One duck serves as a sentry, watching for predators as the others in the group dive in search of food. Buffleheads are amongst the last waterfowl to leave their breeding grounds and one of the world's most punctual migrants, arriving on their wintering grounds within a narrow margin of time.
94:
667:, in 1995. Buffleheads are hunted and are considered a gamebird. In contrast to many other seaducks that have declined in recent decades, bufflehead numbers have remained relatively constant. Habitat degradation is the major threat to this bird, since they depend on very limited coastal habitat on their wintering grounds, and very specific habitat in their boreal breeding grounds. Although buffleheads do use man-made nest boxes, they still need the forest habitat to thrive.
220:
45:
31:
69:
577:
Average clutch size is nine (range six to 11), and eggs average 50.5 by 36.3 mm (1.99 by 1.43 in). Incubation averages 30 days, and nest success is high (79% in one study) compared to ground-nesting species like the teal. A day after the last duckling hatches, the brood leaps from the nest
662:
Because of their striking plumage, highly active nature, and proximity to humans on waterfront properties, buffleheads are one of the most popular birds amongst bird watchers. The bufflehead, also known as the spirit duck, was added to the coat of arms of the town of
1061:
427:
The bufflehead ranges from 32–40 cm (13–16 in) long and weighs 270–550 g (9.5–19.4 oz), with the drakes larger than the females. Averaging 35.5 cm (14.0 in) and 370 g (13 oz), it rivals the
435:
Adult males are striking black and white, with iridescent green and purple heads and a large white patch behind the eye. Females are grey-toned with a smaller white patch behind the eye and a light underside.
448:
and most of them winter in protected coastal waters, or open inland waters, on the east and west coasts of North
America and the southern United States. They can also be observed wintering on the
510:
Buffleheads are monogamous, and the females may return to the same nest site, year after year. They nest in cavities in trees, primarily aspens or poplars, using mostly old
1585:
1477:
1355:
375:
as
America, but this has been restricted to Newfoundland following Edwards. The bufflehead is now placed with two goldeneye species in the genus
642:
These diving birds forage underwater. They prefer water depths of 1.2–4.5 m (3.9–14.8 ft). In freshwater habitats, they eat primarily
983:
1420:
833:
829:
1565:
736:
Systema
Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis
1306:
368:
1368:
961:: autumn arrivals in Shoal Harbour Sanctuary, Vancouver Island, in relation to freeze-up. Canadian Field-Naturalist 121:370-374.
948:. The Birds of North America. (67), 24 pages. Edited by A. Poole and F. Gill, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
1459:
841:
1373:
538:
killing a bufflehead adult female and her brood. Smaller cavities are preferred because of less competition with the larger
355:. Linnaeus based his account on the "little black and white duck" that had been described in 1747 by the English naturalist
1595:
1472:
464:
habitat. From 1966 - 2015, the bufflehead experienced a >1.5% yearly population increase throughout its breeding range.
1329:
1254:
307:. It breeds in Alaska and Canada and migrates in winter to southern North America. This species was first described by
973:
Erskine, A. J. 1972. Buffleheads. Canadian
Wildlife Service Monograph Series #4. Information Canada, Ottawa. 240 pages
897:
452:. The bufflehead is an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe. Their breeding habitat is wooded lakes and ponds in
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779:. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 496.
759:. Vol. 2. London: Printed for the author at the College of Physicians. p. 100, Plate 100.
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739:(in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 124.
1241:
1184:
1143:
1148:
480:
8:
1016:
794:
331:
58:
1038:
685:
654:. Aquatic plants and fish eggs can often become locally important food items, as well.
408:, "head", a reference to the oddly bulbous head shape of the species. The species name
255:
88:
1321:
514:
nests, close (usually < 25 m (82 ft)) to water. Nest competitors include
432:
as the smallest
American duck. The bufflehead has a wingspan of 21.6 in (55 cm).
1485:
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cavity. The young fledge at 50–55 days of age. Predators of adults include the
445:
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Buffleheads have evolved their small size to fit the nesting cavity of their "
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363:. Edwards examined a specimen from Newfoundland provided by the archivist
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858:"Bufflehead Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology"
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135:
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543:
542:. Females may be killed on the nest by mammals, such as
381:
that was introduced in 1858 by the
American naturalist
683:
789:
460:, almost entirely included in the boreal forest or
709:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680462A92863192.en
1557:
886:Lippson, Alice Jane; Lippson, Robert L. (1997).
914:"BBS Trend Maps - Bufflehead Bucephala albeola"
646:, and in saltwater, they feed predominantly on
393:are recognised. The genus name is derived from
1586:Native birds of the Northwestern United States
1044:– USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
976:
534:. There was one recorded instance of a female
957:Finley, J.K. 2007. The punctual Bufflehead,
826:The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names
769:
574:), and by goldeneyes over nest competition.
1012:Bufflehead at Birds of North America Online
940:
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67:
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369:Keeper of Records in the Tower of London
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749:
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1084:
1083:
828:. London: Christopher Helm. pp.
805:. International Ornithologists' Union
799:"Screamers, ducks, geese & swans"
773:; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979).
1299:f6c58e31-01c6-4b1f-a532-58d5489139fb
1029:Birdnote Archives, KPLU, 7 Dec 2009.
1566:IUCN Red List least concern species
756:A Natural History of Uncommon Birds
695:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
361:A Natural History of Uncommon Birds
13:
783:
334:in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist
14:
1607:
1005:
803:IOC World Bird List Version 14.1
776:Check-List of Birds of the World
92:
951:
944:Gauthier, G. 1993. Bufflehead,
920:. US Department of the Interior
684:BirdLife International (2016).
906:
850:
817:
763:
743:
723:
422:
1:
670:
1335:bufflehead-bucephala-albeola
1064:at VIREO (Drexel University)
1035:– Cornell Lab of Ornithology
359:in the second volume of his
7:
1596:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
505:
467:
325:
10:
1612:
1033:Bufflehead Species Account
1022:Bufflehead at Boreal Birds
892:. JHU Press. p. 253.
889:Life in the Chesapeake Bay
824:Jobling, James A. (2010).
498:" host, a woodpecker, the
1092:
1068:Interactive range map of
476:Male flying in California
371:. Linnaeus specified the
365:George Holmes (archivist)
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226:
217:
194:
187:
89:Scientific classification
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65:
56:
51:
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28:
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1062:Bufflehead photo gallery
1054:Internet Bird Collection
797:, eds. (December 2023).
702:: e.T22680462A92863192.
665:Sidney, British Columbia
658:Relationship with humans
600:Haliaeetus leucocephalus
440:Distribution and habitat
1591:Birds described in 1758
1017:BirdWeb.Org: Bufflehead
984:"Town Crest & Flag"
637:
1576:Native birds of Alaska
491:
477:
1499:Paleobiology Database
1027:Buffleheads in Winter
862:www.allaboutbirds.org
483:
475:
400:, "bullheaded", from
311:in his landmark 1758
276:(Linnaeus, 1758)
1294:Fauna Europaea (new)
273:Charitonetta albeola
528:Tachycineta bicolor
412:is a diminutive of
330:The bufflehead was
268:Linnaeus, 1758
59:Conservation status
1075:IUCN Red List maps
1049:"Bufflehead media"
793:; Donsker, David;
632:Accipiter cooperii
536:Barrow's goldeneye
520:Sialia currucoides
492:
478:
332:formally described
1553:
1552:
1543:Bucephala-albeola
1486:Open Tree of Life
1149:Bucephala_albeola
1124:Bucephala albeola
1094:Bucephala albeola
1086:Taxon identifiers
1070:Bucephala albeola
1041:Bucephala albeola
959:Bucephala albeola
946:Bucephala albeola
843:978-1-4081-2501-4
795:Rasmussen, Pamela
688:Bucephala albeola
616:Buteo jamaicensis
608:Aquila chrysaetos
532:European starling
516:mountain bluebird
485:Bucephala albeola
430:green-winged teal
419:meaning "white".
385:. The species is
292:Bucephala albeola
283:
282:
249: Nonbreeding
198:Bucephala albeola
82:
1603:
1571:Bucephala (bird)
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986:. Archived from
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624:Bubo virginianus
620:great horned owl
584:Falco peregrinus
580:peregrine falcon
500:northern flicker
313:10th edition of
277:
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243: Year-round
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751:Edwards, George
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673:
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612:red-tailed hawk
592:Bubo scandiacus
508:
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345:Systema Naturae
328:
315:Systema Naturae
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180:B. albeola
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16:Species of bird
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990:on 2013-10-20
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373:type locality
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367:, the deputy
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350:binomial name
347:
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341:
340:tenth edition
337:
336:Carl Linnaeus
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295:) is a small
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992:. Retrieved
988:the original
978:
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922:. Retrieved
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865:. Retrieved
861:
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713:. Retrieved
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265:Anas albeola
264:
197:
195:
179:
178:
166:
146:Anseriformes
18:
1512:SeaLifeBase
1434:Neotropical
1395:NatureServe
1343:iNaturalist
1118:Wikispecies
791:Gill, Frank
771:Mayr, Ernst
715:19 November
648:crustaceans
450:Great Lakes
423:Description
398:boukephalos
24:Bufflehead
1560:Categories
1538:Xeno-canto
1478:bufflehead
1322:bufflehead
994:2013-10-19
924:2021-02-18
867:2020-09-26
671:References
596:bald eagle
540:goldeneyes
496:metabiotic
391:subspecies
348:under the
305:goldeneyes
287:bufflehead
588:snowy owl
446:migratory
444:They are
387:monotypic
378:Bucephala
301:Bucephala
174:Species:
167:Bucephala
112:Kingdom:
106:Eukaryota
1400:2.104714
1387:22680462
1361:10199832
1247:45510600
1185:22680462
1180:BirdLife
1169:BioLib:
1103:Wikidata
753:(1747).
733:(1758).
652:mollusks
566:sp.) or
506:Breeding
468:Behavior
326:Taxonomy
297:sea duck
256:Synonyms
206:Linnaeus
156:Anatidae
152:Family:
126:Chordata
122:Phylum:
116:Animalia
102:Domain:
79:IUCN 3.1
1312:2498329
1157:Avibase
1109:Q576762
644:insects
626:), and
564:Neogale
560:Mustela
556:weasels
552:Urocyon
530:), and
512:flicker
410:albeola
406:kephale
342:of his
338:in the
162:Genus:
142:Order:
132:Class:
77: (
52:Female
1530:159179
1491:654820
1465:159179
1439:buffle
1426:279934
1374:175145
1319:GNAB:
1268:EURING
1260:100658
1234:buffle
1208:buffle
1172:127354
1137:buffle
896:
840:
809:1 July
554:sp.),
548:Vulpes
458:Canada
454:Alaska
303:, the
247:
241:
235:
229:
1525:WoRMS
1517:73601
1504:83461
1356:IRMNG
1286:96542
1255:EUNIS
1229:eBird
1205:BOW:
1198:10077
544:foxes
462:taiga
417:albus
414:Latin
389:: no
38:Male
1473:ODNR
1460:OBIS
1452:2028
1421:NCBI
1382:IUCN
1369:ITIS
1348:6993
1307:GBIF
1273:2160
1221:NM24
1193:BOLD
918:USGS
894:ISBN
838:ISBN
811:2024
717:2021
700:2016
650:and
638:Diet
568:mink
562:and
550:and
489:MHNT
456:and
402:bous
285:The
210:1758
136:Aves
1408:NBN
1330:IBC
1242:EoL
1216:CoL
1144:ADW
1133:ABA
1073:at
704:doi
634:).
618:),
610:),
602:),
594:),
586:),
522:),
318:as
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1051:.
966:^
933:^
916:.
876:^
860:.
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832:,
830:79
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698:.
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322:.
208:,
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902:.
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846:.
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