Spotted: Buffleheads

The day before Spring Equinox I went for a short hike near Blandford (Aspotogan Trail) and got to see some Buffleheads before they leave the province. Buffleheads are small sea ducks, so named due to their bulbous, buffalo-like head. Their small size allows them to nest in tree holes made by Northern Flickers (and sometimes Pileated Woodpeckers). The males are a beautiful black and white with iridescent green and purple heads and a large wedge-shaped white patch behind the eye. The males make a spectacular sight when seen in flight. The females are pretty cute too, but have a smaller white eye patch and grey-toned undersides.

Source

Small groups of Buffleheads migrate to Nova Scotia in coastal waters or open inland waters. Common along east and west coasts of North America, they are rare in western Europe. Their main breeding grounds are the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska.

They are very active with high metabolisms and earn their right of membership to the group of “diving ducks.” They can take flight from the water quickly and directly, while most diving ducks have a slower approach where they skim along the surface. Those fast motor skills made it very hard for me to take a picture.

According to the Nova Scotia government website, Buffleheads are uncommon in winter, arriving in late October with numbers increasing in March and April. They are mostly gone by May.

Their diet depends on whether they are on saltwater or freshwater. Freshwater provides a diet of mostly insects, while saltwater provides a diet of crustaceans and molluscs.

Buffleheads are hunted for sport, which severely decreased populations in the early 20th century before protection under the Migratory Birds Convention between Canada and the US. Another threat to their survival is habitat degradation as they are dependent on very specific breeding habitat.

An interesting factoid: Two Buffleheads grace Sidney’s (BC) town crest and flag.

Sources:
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/nsbirds/bns0077.htm

http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/research/bios/bufflehead/index.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bufflehead