Family:
The bufflehead is a small, compact sea duck whose name refers to the shape of its oddly bulbous-shaped head.
Male buffleheads have a white body, black back, and a dark head with purple-green iridescence and a large white patch behind the eye. Females have grey-brown plumage with a white cheek patch and small white wing patch. They are smaller than the males.
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Buffleheads eat mainly aquatic insects which they catch by diving underwater. One duck will keep watch while the rest of a small flock search for food.
They will also supplement their diet with seeds.
Buffleheads breed in Alaska and Canada and winters as far south as Mexico. During breeding season they are found on lakes and rivers near conifers, and during migration and winter they move to coasts and larger bodies of water.
