What Do Bufflehead Ducks Eat? Aquatic Foods The Most!

Sea ducks have a distinctive food habit when compared to the backyard ducks. So, when gossiping about the North American small bufflehead, you’ll find a different study. A different diet based on their living environment!

But, what do bufflehead ducks eat? Usually, such diver bufflehead ducks are carnivores and wild. So, they love aquatic insects, small invertebrates like mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants. Whether in freshwater or marine, they don’t miss out on having the nutrition they need.

Bufflehead ducks depend on natural food sources. But what exactly they eat will be explored in the next section. Because I don’t wanna mess here with dozens of diet options.

Bufflehead Duck And The Species Detail

Bufflehead ducks are not pet ducks. They are wild waterfowl mostly seen on the seaside. And not all of you know about such duck species, so here is a small detail about this diver duck.

Sea Ducks Dietary Fact: What Do Bufflehead Ducks Eat?

I cannot say Bufflehead ducks only eat any specific food from the water. It actually varies from season and location they pick for living. 

But at least it’s pretty sure they prefer aquatic items like plants, insects, and other creatures available in the water, especially in oceans or seas. 

As they are water or sea birds, they rely on the watersides. While foraging, this flock of ducks dives for food sources in water.

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, ducks look for aquatic insects in freshwater during summer. But when roaming on ocean coasts, they dive for crustaceans or mollusks the most in winter. It’s their protein provider! And during the fall, they get aquatic plants the most.

However, let’s talk more about the bufflehead ducks’ diet. This time, I’ll go separately.

Invertebrates Are Their First Choice

Aquatic invertebrates are the core part of the development of wetlands and the survival of bufflehead ducklings. In around 24 wetlands in the Southern part of WBF (Western Boreal Forest), invertebrate biomass was predicted by the prevalence of aquatic vegetation and fish abundance.

Predominantly, bufflehead ducks love to eat invertebrates to have the nutrition boost. They just get their food by diving for an average of 12 seconds. They even stay underwater for more than 25 seconds for any nutrition in water. 

However, the invertebrates they usually eat are:

Aquatic Insects: Insects in water give high protein. That’s what ducks, geese, or even chickens need. They actually get an energy boost. 

Anyway, as it’s about Bufflehead, they usually consume:

• Beetles
• Flies (Dragonflies, caddisflies)
• Damselfly nymphs
• Midges
• Water bugs
• Worms
• Larvae (Maggots, Tadpoles).

Crustaceans: Whether wild buffleheads or domesticated ducks, they act like an omnivore and carnivores. So, they’ll eat crustaceans mostly from the sea or ocean. It’s a healthy nutritious staple food source for such types of avians. Usually, they catch:

• Crabs
• Crayfish
• Shrimp.

But they aren’t gonna attack any large-size crustaceans like lobster. Because Bufflehead is small in size and has a small bill.

Mollusks: Actually, bufflehead ducks won’t rely on specific diets. So, when confronting mollusks like

• Snails
• Clams
• Mussels.

They actually don’t miss the chance to have some protein. Especially bufflehead need it during the breeding time. So, they just try to take the flesh from the hard shell. As they know shells are tough and not digestable.

Usually, they pick such food sources from the shallow coastal pool. When in saltwater, they eat amphipods or isopods as well. 

Such eating habit also contributes to the ecosystem. They become the birds of prey and lessen the population of any plants or insects.

Aquatic Plants Are Also A Need

As a traveler duck who migrates during fall and winter, also love to consume some aquatic plants. They seem to be the same as the ones we have in the backyard. But it’s untrue!

Not being a primary source, Bufflehead waterfowl consume water plants such as:

• Algae
• Duckweed
• Pondweed
• Smartweed
• Wild celery
• Coontail
• Southern naiad
• Milfoils.

Typically, they eat emergent or submerged vegetation to have some water and fiber intake.

Small Fish For Protein

Bufflehead Ducks occasionally look for small fish as well. When missing out on consuming some invertebrates, ducks try to get some small fish like:

• Minnows
• Small herring
• Guppies
• Mosquitofish
• Goldfish.

Significantly, such water birds consume fish to have nutritional intake during migration.

Related Readings:

• Cayuga Ducks Diet
• What To Feed Bufflehead Ducks

Bufflehead Duck Diet Difference: How It Changes From Freshwater To Coastal Areas?

As I said, bufflehead ducks don’t stay in one place. They are migratory birds and they change their habitat. Today you see them in the lake, tomorrow you’ll see them in the ocean. However, let’s see their diet difference based on different environments.

Freshwater Ponds And Lakes

When in freshwater and during winter, they usually get small fish or aquatic invertebrates. Besides they get some mollusks or larvae, such as

• Damselfly
• Larvae (Dragonfly, Midge Mayfly, Caddisfly)
• Large zooplankton such as Amphipods
• Water Boatmen
• Snails.

Coastal Marine Areas

When migrating to coastal marine, they generally get invertebrates to most. While roaming in the intertidal zone, they eat small coastal creatures like crustaceans or mollusks.

In fact, they look for the same food sources while dwelling in oceans but ultimately eat what they get.

Marshes In The Estuary

You may also see the bufflehead duck in estuaries and sheltered bays. it’s basically a mix of freshwater and marine resources where such ducks get various prey sources. And I guess they get the same nutritional sources from such environments.

Important Note: We know ducks become dehydrated while they consume salts or sodium. Bufflehead ducks forage mostly in coastal and brackish water. Where they can consume a mild salinity level. And it’s okay.

Bufflehead Migration: What Do They Eat During That Time?

In November, Bufflehead ducks generally visit the Bay region from autumn through spring. Then they arrive in the Northern nesting habitat in Alaska in October and in Northern Canada during April and May. While migrating in winter, they visit the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Oceans.

They actually seek out energy-boosting dietary options. Well, the preferences are quite the same, so they’ll look for insects, plants, or invertebrates to recover from the lengthy flight during the migration.

Recommended Reading: Ducks Diet – What You Need To Know

Closing Article: So, What Do Bufflehead Ducks Eat?

Whether in a pond, sea, or ocean, bufflehead ducks forage for food sources like aquatic plants, insects, small fish, or invertebrates like mollusks the most. They are migratory birds so they must require an energy boost after the period of migration.

In truth, such aquatic appetites fulfill their nutritional needs. Besides, bufflehead ducks also contribute to the ecosystem of the environment when they eat from the area.

Sources And references:

• https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/c157730f-6519-4819-8f7b-9efb7ee36e43/download/7e4b7689-7e82-4896-a881-74875290508c