Abstract
Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) predominantly nest in the boreal forests and aspen parklands of Canada and Alaska. Historically, Buffleheads were common migrants but not summer residents in Minnesota. However, recent observations in Minnesota and surrounding states suggest increased breeding activity in the region. In 1978, the first Bufflehead brood in Minnesota was recorded at East Park Wildlife Management Area. Annually, Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) has conducted pair and brood surveys, with species-specific records available from 1990 to 2014. We report an increase in numbers of Bufflehead breeding pairs and broods at Agassiz NWR and new pair observations in surrounding areas.
Highlights
Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) are a secondary cavity-nesting species that frequently use the cavities of Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) and, to a lesser extent, Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus)
Since 1985, Bufflehead broods have been observed at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located in northwestern Minnesota, almost every year
Bufflehead breeding pair numbers have increased across Agassiz NWR since 1990, with an estimated average of 329 breeding pairs across the refuge over the most recent 10 years (2004–2014) of data (Figure 2)
Summary
Buffleheads (Bucephala albeola) are a secondary cavity-nesting species that frequently use the cavities of Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) and, to a lesser extent, Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus). Most Bufflehead nesting activity occurs in Canada and Alaska, with a smaller portion of the breeding population extending into parts of Washington, California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming (Erskine 1972; Gauthier 2014). This small, cavity-nesting duck is a common fall and spring migrant throughout much of Minnesota, it is considered a rare summer resident (Janssen 1987; Gauthier 2014). Since 1985, Bufflehead broods have been observed at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located in northwestern Minnesota, almost every year
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