Bufflehead ducks at Rouge National Park

Rouge National Urban Park is located on the east side of Toronto, in Ontario. This park holds the title of being Canada’s first ever Urban National Park. In one section of the park there are numerous ponds that have formed in the wetlands, where we have seen beavers, and a wide variety of waterfowl.

Bob atop a century’s old tree stump, a remnant from logging days in the past.

Before we reached the largest pond, the cacophony of bird calls announced the presence of hundreds of Canada Geese and a variety of ducks.

In amongst the Canada Geese were several pairs of Bufflehead Ducks (Bucephala albeola) although at first glance, they were difficult to pick out given that their plumage and markings greatly resembled those of the geese, not to mention some Common Goldeneye Ducks that we also spotted.

We had never seen this type of duck before, but upon returning home, we learned that they are big-headed diving ducks that usually spend summers in Alaska and northern parts of the western provinces of Canada. Seeing as they winter primarily along either the eastern or western seaboards of Canada and the United States, we surmised that this flock of Buffleheads was in active migration. Here we see a male, with the predominant “scarf” around its head, while the female has a white splash across her cheek.