Bufflehead
BuffleheadBuffleheadBuffleheadBufflehead

Bufflehead

Bucephala albeola

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Zion National Park
31 Verified sightings at Zion National Park From 2019 to 2026
5,948 Verified sightings across all 23 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Bufflehead

The bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) is a small sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. It breeds in Alaska and Canada and migrates in winter to southern North America. This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Anas albeola.

The bufflehead was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Anas albeola. Linnaeus based his account on the "little black and white duck" that had been described in 1747 by the English naturalist George Edwards in the second volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. Edwards examined a specimen from Newfoundland provided by the archivist George Holmes (archivist), the deputy Keeper of Records in the Tower of London. Linnaeus specified the type locality as America, but this has been restricted to Newfoundland following Edwards. The bufflehead is now placed with two goldeneye species in the genus Bucephala that was introduced in 1858 by the American naturalist Spencer Baird. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek βουκέφαλος bouképhalos, 'bullheaded', from boûs 'bull', and kephalḗ... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Zion National Park

Common Goldeneye
LC

Common Goldeneye

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala clangula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Canada Goose
LC

Canada Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Branta canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Common Merganser
LC

Common Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus merganser

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Redhead
LC

Redhead

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya americana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hooded Merganser
LC

Hooded Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lophodytes cucullatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Wigeon
LC

American Wigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca americana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ruddy Duck
LC

Ruddy Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oxyura jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Common Teal
LC

Common Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas crecca

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Cinnamon Teal
LC

Cinnamon Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula cyanoptera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Northern Pintail
LC

Northern Pintail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas acuta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
2 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
6 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
7 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
8 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
11 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
12 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
13 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
14 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
15 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data
19 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
20 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
21 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
22 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
23 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Bufflehead in Zion National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bufflehead sighting in Zion National Park, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Bufflehead in Zion National Park?

February has the highest sighting rate for Bufflehead in Zion National Park in our monthly data.

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