The Bufflehead is the smallest diving duck in North America, barely larger than a teal, with a large, puffy head and striking white patch that wraps around the back of the male's head. It nests almost exclusively in woodpecker holes — primarily Northern Flicker cavities — in aspen and poplar forests near small lakes. Its rapid wingbeats give it a somewhat bee-like, buzzing flight.
Habitat
Small boreal lakes and ponds in summer; coastal bays in winter
Diet
Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and crustaceans
How common
Common
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