What Do Buffleheads Eat?

As North America's smallest diving duck, black and white buffleheads are graceful underwater foragers. The bufflehead, or Bucephala albeola, eats an omnivorous diet consisting of a variety of seeds, plants and animals. Because buffleheads are migratory birds, their diet changes throughout the year depending on season and habitat.

  1. Feeding Habits

    • The distinctive shape and size of the bufflehead defines its feeding habits. With small, rounded torsos and legs located at the far end of their bodies, bufflehead ducks are agile in the water but awkward on land. Except when nesting, buffleheads prefer to spend almost all their time in the water and rely on an almost exclusive underwater diet. Roughly half of their day is spent diving for food, while the other half is spent resting on the water's surface.

    Freshwater Diet

    • During their summer breeding season, buffleheads flock to the cool boreal forests of Canada and Alaska. The ducks seek out small, shallow freshwater lakes and ponds without a lot of vegetation, which interferes with their diving. During this time, buffleheads primarily eat insects such as damselflies, midge larvae and dragonfly larvae. They also scavenge for pondweed and bulrush seeds and occasionally eat plants located in and around the water.

    Saltwater Diet

    • When the weather turns cold, buffleheads head away from the forests toward the coasts of the contiguous United States and Mexico. As in the north, they prefer shallow water, seeking secluded bays, coves and beaches. Buffleheads feed on crustaceans and mollusks, including shrimp, snails and clams. They will also eat very small fish. When eating, buffleheads dive deep into the water, scoop up their prey and swallow it whole.

    Captivity Diet

    • Buffleheads are not the most commonly raised duck breed, but they can be kept in captivity. As in the wild, domesticated buffleheads thrive on a protein-rich diet. Some commercially-prepared feed brands, such as Mazuri, provide a specially formulated sea duck diet. Some bufflehead owners also feed their ducks dog food that is high in protein. Supplementary treats may include mealworms, freeze-dried krill, chopped fish such as smelt and millet. If given access to a shallow pond, captive buffleheads may also eat some natural foods, such as damselflies and other insects.