Bufflehead Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Bufflehead are very small, compact ducks with large, rounded heads and short, wide bills.

  Relative Size

  Smaller than a Common Goldeneye; larger than a Pied-billed Grebe.

  crow-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 12.6-15.8 in (32-40 cm)
    • Weight: 9.6-22.4 oz (272-635 g)
    • Wingspan: 21.6 in (55 cm)

  © S. K. Jones / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Adult male Bufflehead have a white body, black back, and a dark head with a large white patch that wraps around the back of the head. Females and first-year males are gray-brown overall with an oval, white cheek patch. In flight adult males have a large white patch on the upperwing; females and first-year males have a smaller white wing patch.

• Behavior

  Bufflehead dive underwater to catch aquatic invertebrates. When courting females, male Buffleheads swim in front of them, rapidly bobbing their heads up and down. In flight, you can identify Bufflehead by noting their small size, fast wingbeats, and pattern of rocking side-to side as they fly.
• Habitat

  Bufflehead are most widespread in migration and winter, when they move south to coasts and large bodies of water, particularly shallow saltwater bays. They breed near lakes in northern forests where conifers mix with poplars or aspens. Bufflehead nest in tree cavities, especially old Northern Flicker holes.