Birds and Birding's Guide to:

Watching THE GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS

THE SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS, AND MERGANSERS

Buffle-head

Very closely related, and indeed often placed in the same genus with the last, is the Buffle-head, Butter-ball, or Spirit Duck (Charito-netta albeola), a small North American species about fifteen inches in length, which may be distinguished by the presence of a broad white patch which passes around the back of the head from eye to eye.

As an expert diver is perhaps not exceeded; its ability to disappear at the flash of a gun before the charge of shot reaches it has given rise to its name of Spirit-Duck. Like the Golden-eye it nests in hollow stumps and trees, laying from six to twelve lighthyemalis), which may be known among other characters by the very long, narrow middle tail-feathers, which are held at an angle of 60 degrees when the bird is sitting on the water. It is found throughout Arctic Europe, Asia, and North America, ranging south in winter to southern Europe, central Asia, and China, and in the New World nearly across the United States.

It is an extremely swift flyer and it is also a very noisy bird, continually scolding or”talking."

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