Habitat
Buffleheads are migratory birds found in small
flocks. During the breeding season, which is in the
summer, they can be found in
the boreal forest areas and aspen parklands of North
America. Ponds or small lakes that do not
contain a
lot of emergent or submergent vegetation usually dominate
their breeding habitat. For nests, buffleheads use the
abandoned holes in trees from the woodpecker called the Northern Flicker,
Colaptes auratus
.
Their breeding
habitat is limited by this necessity. The trees they
nest in are usually poplar or aspen trees.
For the winter, buffleheads migrate down to the ocean
coastlines. They will try to stay in shallow waters,
secluded coves, harbors, estuaries, or along beaches, and
they will avoid open coastlines. Since
buffleheads are awkward walking but are great swimmers, they
are found mostly in the water and are rarely seen on land.
