The Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) name is a combination of the words “buffalo” and “head”, referring to the oddly bulbous head shape of the species. This is most noticeable when the male puffs out the feathers on the head. A small duck of the genus Bucephala – the goldeneyes – the Bufflehead is a diver and unlike other diving ducks can take flight from water without having to run along the surface. Its breeding habitat is wooded lakes and ponds in Alaska and Canada where it nests in cavities of trees, primarily aspens or poplars, usually utilising old Flicker nests.
