BUFFLE-HEAD 



179 



The courting bfhavior of the Buflfle-head in California has been 

 only iniperfeetly described, but C. W. Townsend (1916, pp. 16-17) 

 from observations in ^Massachusetts, writes of it in detail as follows: 



A group of thirty-five or forty of these birds with sexes about equally 

 divided may have been actively feeding, swimming together in a compact 

 flock all pointing the same way. They dive within a few seconds of each 

 other and stay under water 14 to 20 seconds and repeat the diving at frequent 

 intervals. Suddenly a male swims vigorously at another with flapping wings, 

 making the water boil, and soon each male is ardently courting. He spreads 

 and cocks his tail, i)ufifs out the feathers of his head and cheeks, extends his 

 bill straight out in front close to the water and every now and then throws it 

 back with a bob in a sort of reversed bow. All the time he swims rapidly, 

 and, whereas in feeding the group were all swimming the same way in an 

 orderly manner, the drakes are now nervously swimming back and forth and 

 in and out through the crowd. Every now and then there is a commotion in 

 the water as one or more drakes 

 dive with a splashing of 

 water only to come up again 

 in pursuit or retreat. As the 

 excitement grows a drake flaps 

 his wings frequently and then 

 jumps from the water and flies 

 low with outstretched neck to- 

 wards a duck who has listlessly 

 strayed from the group. He 

 alights beside her precipitately, 

 sliding along on his tail, his 

 breast and head elevated to 

 their utmost extent and held 

 erect. He bobs nervously. And 

 so it goes. 



^-^ 



^fc 



Fig. 23. Head of female Buflle-head. 

 One-half natural size. 



Note single white patch below and be- 

 hind eye (compare with figs. 24 and 26). 



Swarth (1911, p. 43) says that in southeastern Alaska during 

 April and May tlie preponderance of males was very noticeable. He 

 further states: "The drakes were constantly exhibiting their plumage 

 and competing for the favor of the females ; sometimes when several 

 were fighting together furiously the single female of the flock would 

 quietly fly away and leave them, to be presently followed by the whole 

 gathering as soon as her defection was discovered." 



Brooks (1903, p. 279), who had excellent opportunity to study 

 the nesting habits of this species in British Columbia, says that : 



Almost every lake has one or more pairs of these charming little ducks. 

 The nests, unlike those of Barrow's Golden-eye, were always in trees close 

 to or but a short distance away from w^ater. These nests were invariably the 

 deserted nesting sites of flickers, and in most instances had been used several 

 years in succession by the ducks. The holes were in asjaen trees from five to 

 twenty feet from the ground, and the entrance [in each case] was not more 

 than three and a quarter inches in diameter. The number of eggs ranged 



