The Buffle-Head (CharitoneUa albeola) 



By Lynds Jones 



Synonyms. — Butter-Ball; Spirit Duck. 



Description. — Adult male: Feathers of head puffy, somewhat lengthened 

 along crest and nape ; head and upper neck black, sooty below, with brilliant violet, 

 purple, steel-blue, and bronze-green metallic reflections ; a broad white space from 

 eye to eye around occiput ; back, inner scapulars and tertiaries with touches on 

 coverts and some narrow bordering on the outer scapulars and upturned side- 

 feathers glossy black; upper tail-coverts and tail ashy gray; remaining plumage, 

 including a broad collar around neck, white ; belly silky or washed with pale gray ; 

 bill dull bluish with dusky nail and base ; feet flesh color, with black claws ; iris 

 brown. Adult female: Head and neck mouse-brown, darker on crown, lighter 

 on throat ; a dull white patch below and behind eye ; speculum narrowly white ; 

 reminiscences of white coverts of male in shape of two or three central spots on 

 greater coverts ; remaining plumage above, grayish dusky below, below silky 

 white, shading on sides and hind-neck. Length, 14.00-15.25 (355.6-387.4) ; av. 

 of six Columbus males: wing, 6.67 (169.4) ; tail, 2.93 (74.4) ; bill, 1.10 (27.9) ; 

 tarsus, 1.31 (33.3). Female smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Teal size ; plumage extensively white ; head black, with 

 large sharply defined patch of white from eye to eye behind. Similar spot much 

 reduced, distinctive for female. Expert diver. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, in hollow of tree or stump, 

 lined with grasses, feathers, etc. Eggs, 6-14, pale olive gray, creamy, or buffy 

 white. Av. size, 1.98 X 1.46 (50.3 X 37.1). 



Range. — North America; south in winter to Cuba and Mexico. Breeds from 

 Maine and Montana northward, through the fur countries and Alasl^a. 



Each bird species, like each human family, possesses a character wholly its 

 own. ''Butter-ball" and **Butter Duck" are expressive of this duck's close-knit, 

 fat appearance, and the name "Spirit Duck" arises from its appearance of floating 

 in the air above the water, since the white breast and sides, below the field of 

 black, cannot be seen, at first glance, above the water. No doubt its expertness 

 in diving, thus dodging the shot, has also given point to this title. But aside from 

 this superficial appearance, the Buffle-head possesses a character of his own. He 

 rides the water daintily, scarcely wetting his toes, or lies on his side with one foot 

 out of water, or plimges down to great depths, with utter disregard of the fact 

 that he is an air-breathing animal. And too, he is always spick and span, never 

 with so much as a dampened feather. How easy to become master of the water if 

 you could go into it without getting in the least wet ! 



Buffle-head takes the world easy. He does nobody harm, and assumes that 

 he will be treated equally well. Flocks of the Oberlin water-works reservoir 

 never think of being disturbed by the curious spectators on the bank. One can 

 almost believe that they were raised there. 



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