The Bufflehead, seemingly such a round and buoyant bird, will quickly vanish under the pond of its choice, leaving rings of water radiating from its dive. Watching a Bufflehead, you’ll notice they spend a lot of time foraging under water, by some reports up to 50% of the time.
A male Bufflehead on the verge of diving underwater (Mathew Filosa/Audubon Photography Awards).
On those dives, Buffleheads consume a diverse diet of aquatic invertebrate larvae, large zooplankton, and snails. At least in Wisconsin wetlands. On wintering grounds the birds find coastal bays and wetlands, where they may feast on choice offerings of clams and mussels.
You can find Buffleheads on any of the ponds at Faville Grove, though the Kettle Pond and Springer Pond are good bets when thawed. I’ve seen the biggest flocks of this bird on bays in Door County, which probably resemble the Bufflehead’s preferred overwintering spots.
A very rare breeding bird in Wisconsin, as we’re at the southern edge of its range, you could nevertheless find Buffleheads breeding near ponds, lakes, or wetlands in their favorite spot—an old Northern Flicker cavity.
Human-constructed nest boxes have proved successful for conservation of the bird in some areas, though only likely to attract the birds in their core breeding range in northern Minnesota and Canada.
Written by Drew Harry, Faville Grove Sanctuary land steward
Cover image: A male Bufflehead, with mostly white plumage and a few iridescent purple-green patches, swims in front of a female Bufflehead, with brown plumage and a white cheek patch (photo by Kaitlin Svabek).
