| Bufflehead Identification Tips |
| (Credit: U. S. Geological Survey) |
| General
Information - Very small compact diving duck - Very small dark gray bill - Immature female similar to adult female, but immature male has a larger white cheek patch Adult male alternate - Alternate plumage worn from fall through early summer - Dark glossy head - Large white patch on the head from behind the eye - White breast, belly and flanks - Dark back - Inner wing white and outer wing dark, visible in flight Adult male basic - Similar to adult female but with a larger white cheek patch Adult female - Dark brown head and body, breast and flanks paler - Oval white patch on face behind eye - White belly - White inner secondaries and otherwise dark wing, visible in flight Similar species Female Bufflehead distinguished from female Harlequin Duck by white secondaries and single white patch behind the eye. |
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