presence of 2,500 on Pea Island during the winter of 1940-41. 



South Carolina Buffleheads are fairly common winter residents in South 

 Carolina, generally arriving in early November and sometimes lingering until 

 late April. They prefer salt water and are most numerous along the coast on 

 marshes, bays, tidal rivers, and the Inland Waterway; they occasionally occur 

 inland on freshwater ponds and rice fields (Sprunt and Chamberlain 1949). 

 January waterfowl surveys typically found 350 Buffleheads in South Carolina 

 (Bellrose 1976); 300 were found there during the January 1975 survey (Golds- 

 berry et al. 1980). Winter populations are doubtless larger than this, however, 

 since an estimate based on data provided by Larned et al. (1980) suggests that 

 about 850 were killed there during the 1975 hunting season. In addition, four 

 recent Christmas Counts (that covered only a portion of the coast) averaged a 

 total of slightly over 350 birds (Map 29). 



Georgia Burleigh (1958) regarded the Bufflehead as an uncommon transient 

 and winter resident throughout the state. Denton et al. (1977) assigned it the 

 same status, and gave dates of occurrence from early November to late April. 

 Bellrose (1976) reported that some 35 were seen there on January waterfowl sur- 

 veys; 200 were reported on the January 1975 survey (Goldsberry et al. 1980). 



Florida This species occurs in Florida as an uncommon winter visitor, 

 chiefly on the northern Gulf coast. Howell (1932) gave only two records from 

 the Atlantic coast. Sprunt (1954) reported that Buffleheads occur sparingly 

 in the central portions of the state south to Lake Okeechobee, their normal 

 southern limit in the state. At present the Bufflehead is uncommon on the At- 

 lantic coast, with small concentrations at Merritt Island NWR (Kale 1979 ms a, 

 Map 29). It is generally uncommon on the Gulf coast, although more numerous in 

 the upper Gulf (Kale 1979 ms b, Map 29). Bellrose reported that about 950 were 

 seen on winter surveys; 1,000 were reported there on the January 1975 survey 

 (Goldsberry et al. 1980). Recent Audubon Christmas Bird Counts averaged slight- 

 ly over 1,000 Buffleheads (Map 29). 



Alabama Buffleheads are winter residents in Alabama. They are found both 

 inland and on the outermost bays of the Gulf coast and are equally abundant on 

 fresh and salt water. These ducks have been reported from early November to 

 late April along the coast; the maximum concentration reported there was 215 

 birds observed at Bon Secour Bay on 8 February 1957 (Imhof 1976b). Bellrose 

 (1976) gave no figures for populations wintering in Alabama; the 1975 winter 

 waterfowl survey found 500 birds (Goldsberry et al. 1980) 



Mississippi Burleigh (1944) reported that the Bufflehead winters in ex- 

 tremely small numbers on the Gulf coast. More recent observations indicate that 

 the species occurs in winter in small numbers throughout the state from early 

 November to late March (Jackson and Weber 1976, Jackson and Cooley 1978a). The 

 largest concentration reported was 120 birds at Horn Island on 1 6 January 1978 

 (Jackson and Cooley 1978a). None were reported during the 1975 waterfowl sur- 

 vey (Goldsberry et al. 1980), but slightly over 800 were believed to have been 

 shot and retrieved by hunters during the preceding hunting season (Larned et 

 al. 1980). 



Louisiana The Bufflehead is usually in Louisiana from November to March, 



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