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Bufflehead

Bucephala albeola (Linnaeus, 1758)

Description:

The Bufflehead ranges from 32–40 cm (13–16 in) long and 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 green-winged teal as the smallest American duck. Adult males are striking black and white, with iridescent green and purple heads with a large white patch behind the eye. Females are grey-toned with a smaller white patch behind the eye and a light underside.

Habitat:

They are migratory 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. The Bufflehead is an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe. Their breeding habitat is wooded lakes and ponds in Alaska and Canada, almost entirely included in the boreal forest or taiga habitat.

Notes:

These ducks were very difficult to photograph. There were many more, but very flighty and I could only get these few pics before they flew off.

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dane.a.hep
Spotted by
dane.a.hep

Spotted on Nov 1, 2015
Submitted on Dec 24, 2015

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Reference

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