The Bufflehead drake is a smaller duck with striking contrasting colors. Its black and white looking appearance makes it quite noticeable on the water. How can this water-loving bird be dependent on a woodpecker?
The Bufflehead hen does not resemble the male in coloration.
Buffleheads breed near ponds and lakes in the boreal forest and aspen parkland of Canada and Alaska. They are frequently seen in most of the United States during the winter or in migration season.
It is during the breeding season that Buffleheads are dependent on woodpeckers, most specifically, the Northern Flicker. Buffleheads are tree-cavity nesting birds. Since they cannot excavate a nesting cavity themselves, they rely on cavities that have been made and vacated by Flickers. The larger cavity-nesting ducks such as goldeneyes and mergansers cannot fit into a Flicker cavity. It is just the right size for Buffleheads.
A Flicker may or may not use the same nesting cavity next year. If vacant and near suitable habitat (water), the cavity could become a nesting place for a Bufflehead pair.
Who would have thought that the survival of a duck species is tied so closely to the survival of a woodpecker species?
Waterfowl migration is progressing rapidly. Get outside and enjoy nature.