Buffleheads are a favorite of many birders; even I, a healthy adult American male, must agree that they are cute. These small ducks with their round heads, short bills and attractive plumage are always a joy to encounter. Usually seen in pairs or small groups, buffleheads are among the few ducks that are monogamous, at least for several years at a time; despite their size, they are also among the longest lived of our waterfowl, sometimes surviving 15 years or more.
Residents of the vast Northwoods, from Alaska through Canada and southward into the Pacific Northwest, buffleheads favor woodlands along rivers and lakes where they nest in abandoned woodpecker holes, especially those of northern flickers. Broods of up to 18 ducklings are cared for by the female and initially feast on insects or aquatic plant material at the surface of the water; adults dive for a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates and may also consume seeds. By mid autumn, buffleheads disperse for wintering grounds along the coasts of North America or on inland rivers and reservoirs of the Lower 48; they may also turn up in eastern Siberia, Japan or Western Europe.
Since most of the ponds and lakes remain frozen along the Front Range, buffleheads have been especially common on the South Platte River this week, mingling with common goldeneyes, lesser scaup and hooded mergansers. They will grace our region until early April when longer days and rising temperatures send them back to their northern homeland.
