Male Bufflehead about to land while being chased by another Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Magnuson Park
Seattle, WA
February 23, 2015
One of the pleasures of Winter in the Puget Sound region is watching Buffleheads. The small, diving ducks are a common sight on freshwater ponds and salt water. They can be seen diving acrobatically to catch aquatic invertebrates. Males are distinctively bright white, with dark patches which can glow green or purple, depending upon lighting conditions. Female Buffleheads are smaller, with dark bodies and a white cheek patch - almost an inverted color pattern from the males.
Buffleheads are generally monogamous during mating season and may keep the same mate for several years. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
"Males court females by flying over them, skiing to a
stop on the water with their crests raised, and bobbing their heads. During the
breeding season, territorial birds attack intruders by flying or swimming
underwater at them and thrashing at them with their wings. When a pair intrudes
into a territory, the territorial male often chases the intruding female while
the intruding male chases after them both. "
Male Buffleheads chasing one another during mating season
Bucephala albeola
Budd Inlet
Olympia, WA
March 2, 2015