Here you see part of a flock of bufflehead ducks out in Great Cove Friday. These birds (Bucephala albeola) have been arriving from Canada at least all week and collecting in small, energetic flocks. They’re the smallest sea ducks in North America, seldom reaching 16 inches in length.
Buffleheads fly here and there, seemingly whimsically, in fast, low formations that make no whirring noise. When in the water, they dive almost continuously for crabs, clams, and sea plants or flit, seemingly nervously, back and forth low over the water. Surprisingly, they nest inside tree cavities abandoned by flickers and pileated woodpeckers.
Their name refers to the black and white males, which have enlarged heads with a big white scoop behind their eyes that they can flex into a hood. Their flexed heads resemble (somewhat) those of American “buffalos” (“bison” to quibblers):
Leighton Archive image
The smaller-headed females are darker overall with just a dab of white behind the eyes. (Primary image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 1, 2023.)