If you are along the river or a lake, you might notice some small ducks on the water. If they are close enough, or if you have binoculars, you will notice a lot of black-and-white bodies. Their small, chunky bodies are smaller than that of a mallard, and only about one pound in weight. This is the season of the buffleheads.

Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) are the smallest ducks in the region. They are only spotted here during the spring and fall, as they migrate to and from their breeding grounds in northern Canada. In the fall, they arrive just around Halloween, only to disappear around Thanksgiving. 

The departure date of these small ducks is more variable; they are diving ducks that feed on vegetation at the bottom of the waterway. As long as that waterway is not frozen over, they will stick around to forage. They might then make a move to coastal areas, where open water can be found year-round, or they could go as far south as Florida or Mexico for the winter.

You will likely spot the more striking markings of male buffleheads—like many bird species, the male has more noticeable plumage than does the female, with large areas of white, bordered with black, on the head and wings, breast and lower flanks. The black on the head has iridescent qualities, especially in direct sunlight. 

Females have smaller white markings, bordered by dark gray to a light shade of black, just behind the eyes. Their black wings and sides lack the white markings of the male. 

If disturbed, or they decide to fly for another reason, buffleheads fly as a flock with a very fast wing-beat cadence; they can give the appearance of salt and pepper in the sky.

As mentioned, they breed in Canada in boreal forests; they use abandoned woodpecker cavities in trees to rear their young, similar to wood ducks in our region. 

Some observers in Canada are saying that buffleheads are migrating further north, possibly because of climate change. 

The climate change issue is a concern in the long term; a study published in 2018 by the University of Alberta states that “half of Alberta’s upland boreal forest is likely to disappear over the next century due to climate change.”

Buffleheads prefer undisturbed lakes and flat-water sections of the river. Binoculars are good to have, as the birds are shy and will not get close to people on the shore. Look for tiny black-and-white birds on the water (male mergansers are also black-and-white, but are a lot bigger, with a long bill). 

Enjoy the buffleheads while they are around, because you won’t get another chance until spring, when they make the trip back to northern Canada.