BIFFLE-EEAD 177 



Buffle-head 



<'li(iri((/)i(tta iilbcola (Linnaeus) 



Other names — Butterball; Kin^ Butterhall (male); Spirit Duck; CkinguJa 

 aJbeola ; Bucephala alheola. 



Description — Adult male: Plumage of head copious and fluffy foniiing a 

 distinct crest of even outline; head and upper neck, black, glossed vividly with 

 metallic green, violet-purple, and an intermediate greenish bronze, the green 

 being most a])parent about face and on hind neck, the violet-purple on crown 

 and sides of head and neck; a large patch of white extends backward from 

 immediately beneath eye and meets its fellow on back of head; iris "dark 

 brown"; bill "slate," nail "black" (Sauford, Bishop and Van Dyke, 1903, 

 p. 150) ; back and rump black, separated from dark color of head and upper 

 neck by a broad white collar; upper tail coverts and tail light gray; forepart 

 of outer surface of closed wing chiefly white; flight feathers and inner 

 scapulars black; outer scapulars white edged narrowly on outer margins with 

 black; axillars and lining of wing mottled dusky and white; breast, sides, 

 under tail coverts and expanded flank feathers pure white, the last narrowly 

 bordered along upper edges with black; belly plain pale ashy gray, blending 

 into white of breast; white of breast runs up on foreneck into an A-shaped 

 invasion upon the dark head; legs and feet "flesh color" (Sanford, Bishop and 

 Van Dyke, loc. cit.). Total length "14.25-15.25" inches (362-387 mm.) (Ridg- 

 way, 1900, p. 106); folded wing 6.50-6.97 (165-177); bill along culmen 1.06- 

 1.17 (26.9-29.7); tarsus 1.27-1.36 (32.2-34.5) (nine specimens from California 

 and Alaska). Adult female: Head (less puffy than in male), neck, and whole 

 upper surface of body, dark grayish brown, approaching black on crown, 

 middle of back, and rump; throat and whole neck lightest in tone; a white 

 patch on each side of head behind and below level of eye (these patches much 

 smaller and less sharply defined than in male, and not meeting on hind neck) ; 

 iris dark brown; bill bluish gray; tail above and below grayish brown; outer 

 surface of closed wing and flight feathers, slaty black; small, sharply con- 

 trasted area on wing, including speculum, pure white, crossed by a black bar; 

 breast, sides, flanks, under tail coverts and hinder part of belly, grayish, 

 blending with the dull white of rest of under surface; legs and feet "slate"; 

 webs "dusky" (Sanford, Bishop and Van Dyke, loc. cit.). Total length 

 "12.25-13.50" inches (311-343 mm.) (Ridgway, loc. cit.); folded wing 5.95- 

 6.50 (151-165); bill along culmen 0.96-1.08 (24.4-27.4); tarsus 1.11-1.27 (28.2- 

 32.2) (seven specimens from California and Alaska). Juvenile and natal 

 plumages: Not known to us. 



Marks for field identification — Small size, chunky build, relatively 

 large head, short bill, black (or dark) and white coloration, white patch on 

 side of head, and white speculum, separate either sex from other ducks. Female 

 slightly smaller than male, with much of black replaced by blackish brown; 

 distinguished by white patch on side of head behind eye, and white wing 

 patch crossed by a black bar. 



Voice — Resembles quack of Golden-eye but feebler; on the wing a deep 

 guttural note (Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, 1884, TI, pp. 50, 51). 



Nest — In hollow stump or tree, near water; lined with down. 



Eggs — 2 to 9, averaging 8, nearly elliptical in shape, measuring in inches 1.75 

 to 2.11 by 1.32 to 1.50 (in millimeters, 44.5 to 53.5 by 33.5 to 38.0), and averag- 

 ing 1.99 by 1.44 (50.5 by 36.5) ; color creamy white or old ivory (measurements 



