Bufflehead Bird Houses

The Bufflehead, with its striking white sides and white patch on its head, is smaller than most cavity nesting ducks. Buffleheads live by lakes, rivers and bays. Most breed in the northwestern part of North America. As winter nears, Buffleheads migrate to coastal water on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts. Buffleheads travel to breeding grounds in Alaska and western Canada in February, March and April. They nest in tree cavities, especially old flicker holes. The female returns every year to the area of her birth and lays one egg each morning for six to 11 days, some time between mid-April and May. The Bufflehead is the only tree-nesting duck that can use nest holes of flickers. Buffleheads have become dependent on nest boxes due to the scarcity of cavities that have been excavated by flickers.