Soon after the ice broke on the area lakes, I spotted signs of the coming of spring. Tiny black-and-white ducks were present on the lakes in Shohola, PA. At first, it was only a couple of ducks during late February. Then more came, probably two dozen or so on the lake.

These tiny ducks are buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) and are the smallest diving ducks in North America.  With a maximum length of 15 inches, they are hard to spot when far off.  They appear in late winter or early spring as soon as the ice breaks on the lakes and they appear in small flocks. They are also on open water in rivers, but usually not as many.

The male is more distinctive, with a large patch on the back of the head and white breast, wings and underparts.  From a distance, the head and nape appear jet black, but a closer view in sunlight reveals green-and-purple iridescence in the same area.  

The female is darker, with a dark brown to black head and a small eye patch.

When a flock takes off together, the black-and-white plumage of buffleheads looks like salt and pepper thrown into the wind. They beat their wings very fast, just over 500 beats per minute. 

Toward the end of April, they will leave us and continue to their breeding ground in western and central Canada.

If you miss them in the spring, don’t worry; you can catch them just after Thanksgiving as they return to wintering grounds here and elsewhere.