A late-autumn visitor

Fall is nature’s time for transition, a time to prepare for winter. Some animals, such as reptiles and amphibians, hibernate for the winter. Others migrate south. One duck that visits our region from Canada for a few weeks on the way south is the bufflehead (Bucephala albeola).

The Bufflehead is very small; in fact it is the smallest diving duck in North America. The first thing that strikes the eye when spotting them on the water is black and white. This black-and-white pattern makes these ducks easy to identify, even though they are small and somewhat shy. The male is more distinct, with a large white patch on the back of its head. The female has small white spots below and behind each eye.

Buffleheads visit our region for a few weeks in the fall, and they especially like small lakes, where they can be found foraging for insects and other small animals in the water. They dive for their food and stay under for a minute or so on average.

Peak numbers of these tiny ducks are usually seen in our area from mid to late November as they move to their wintering grounds along the coast, or inland south of New Jersey.