The first time I saw a Bufflehead was in Lake Arrowhead, California in 2019. Its black and white body is very eye-catching. It is a small sea duck. The Bufflehead nests almost exclusively in holes excavated by Northern Flickers. They are monogamous, and the females may return to the same nest site, year after year. These diving birds forage underwater.
我第一次看到白枕鵲鴨是在2019年在加州的箭頭湖(Lake Arrowhead)。它們黑白相間的身驅很引人注意。它是一種小型海鴨。白枕鵲鴨幾乎只在北撲翅鴷挖掘的洞中築巢。它們是一夫一妻制，雌鴨可能年復一年地回到同一個巢穴。這些潛水鴨在水下覓食。
Photo Date: 2019.12.06 Location: Lake Arrowhead, California
Photo Date: 2023.01.18, 2023.02.01 Location: Santa Fe Dam, California
Notes 筆記
- The bufflehead is a small sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. The genus name is derived from ancient Greek boukephalos, "bullheaded", from bous, "bull", and kephale, "head", a reference to the oddly bulbous head shape of the species. The species name albeola is from Latin albus, "white". The English name is a combination of buffalo and head, again referring to the head shape.
- The bufflehead rivals the green-winged teal as the smallest American duck. Adult males are striking black and white, with iridescent green and purple heads and a large white patch behind the eye. Females are grey-toned with a smaller white patch behind the eye and a light underside.
- They are migratory and most of them winter in protected coastal waters, or open inland waters, on the east and west coasts of North America and the southern United States. They can also be observed wintering on the Great Lakes. Their breeding habitat is wooded lakes and ponds in Alaska and Canada, almost entirely included in the boreal forest or taiga habitat.
- Buffleheads have evolved their small size to fit the nesting cavity of their "metabiotic" host, a woodpecker, the northern flicker. Due to their small size, they are highly active, undertaking dives almost continuously while sustained by their high metabolism. They do not tend to collect in large flocks; groups are usually limited to small numbers. One duck serves as a sentry, watching for predators as the others in the group dive in search of food. Buffleheads are amongst the last waterfowl to leave their breeding grounds and one of the world's most punctual migrants, arriving on their wintering grounds within a narrow margin of time.
- Buffleheads are monogamous, and the females may return to the same nest site, year after year. They nest in cavities in trees, primarily aspens or poplars, using mostly old flicker nests, close to water.
- These diving birds forage underwater. In freshwater habitats, they eat primarily insects, and in saltwater, they feed predominantly on crustaceans and mollusks. Aquatic plants and fish eggs can often become locally important food items, as well.
- The bufflehead, also known as the spirit duck, was added to the coat of arms of the town of Sidney, British Columbia, in 1995.
- 白枕鵲鴨是鵲鴨屬(金眼鴨)的小型海鴨。屬名源自古希臘語 boukephalos，“bullheaded”，來自 bous，“公牛”和 kephale，“頭”，指的是它奇怪的球狀頭部。種名 albeola 來自拉丁語 albus，“白色”。英文名是水牛(buffalo)和頭位(head)的組合，指頭型。
- 白枕鵲鴨與美洲綠翅鴨相媲美，是美國最小的鴨子。成年雄鴨是黑白相間，很醒目，頭部是色彩斑斕的綠色和紫色，眼睛後面有一大塊白色斑塊。雌鴨是灰色調，眼睛後面有一個較小的白色斑塊，下面是淺色。
- 它們是候鳥，大多數在北美東西海岸和美國南部受保護的沿海水域或開闊的內陸水域過冬。也可以觀察到它們在五大湖上過冬。它們的繁殖棲息地是阿拉斯加和加拿大樹木繁茂的湖泊和池塘，幾乎包括整個北方針葉林或北極樹界棲息地。
- 白枕鵲鴨已逐步演變到藉著它們的小尺寸來適應它們的“代謝”宿主啄木鳥北撲翅鴷(northern flicker)的築巢窩洞。由於體型小，它們非常活躍，有高新陳代謝可以幾乎不間斷地潛水。它們不喜歡成群結隊地聚集，一群通常數目很少。在群中的其他鴨子潛水尋找食物時，會有一隻鴨子充當哨兵觀察掠食者。白枕鵲鴨是最後一批離開繁殖地的水禽，也是世上最精確的遷徙者，它們會在很短的時間內到達越冬地。
- 白枕鵲鴨是一夫一妻制，雌鴨可能年復一年地回到同一個巢穴。它們築巢主要是在大齒楊或白楊樹的樹洞中，使用靠近水的北撲翅鴷舊巢。
- 這些潛水鴨在水下覓食。在淡水棲息地，它們主要以昆蟲為食，在鹽水中，它們主要以甲殼類動物和軟體動物為食。水生植物和魚卵也成為當地重要的食品。
- 白枕鵲鴨也被稱為精神鼓勵鴨，於1995年被加到不列顛哥倫比亞省悉尼鎮的徽章中。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Bufflehead
- All about birds: Bufflehead
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