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female

male

Bufflehead

Bucephala albeola

MIGRATION

WINTER

Size:	13-15" (33-38 cm)
Male:	A small duck with striking white sides and black back. Green purple head with a large white bonnet-like patch.
Female:	brown version of male, with a brown head and white patch on cheek, just behind eyes
Juvenile:	similar to female
Nest:	cavity; female lines an old woodpecker cavity; 1 brood per year
Eggs:	8-10; ivory to olive without markings
Incubation:	29-31 days; female incubates
Fledging:	50-55 days; female leads young to food
Migration:	complete, to New Hampshire and Vermont, southern states, Mexico and Central America
Food:	aquatic insects
Compare:	A small black and white diving duck. Male Hooded Merganser is similar, but lacks the white sides of male Bufflehead. Look for the green purple head with a large white patch to help identify.

Stan’s Notes: This very small, common duck is almost always in small groups or with other ducks. A diving duck, seen on rivers and lakes in New Hampshire and Vermont during migration and winter. Nests in old woodpecker holes. Known to use a burrow in an earthen bank when tree cavities are scarce. Will use a nest box. Uses down feathers to line the nest cavity. Unlike other ducks, the young remain in the nest for up to two days before venturing out with their mothers. Female is very territorial and stays with the same mate for many years.