WhenToBird

Bucephala albeola · Anatidae

When Do Buffleheads Arrive in Nebraska?

Adult Bufflehead
Photo: Robert Harris, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Buffleheads are winter birds in Nebraska: the first arrive in the second week of February, they are common by late February, peak in late March (17% of checklists), and most are gone by late April.

When to look

First arrivalsFeb 8-14the second week of February
Common byFeb 22-28late February
PeakMar 22-31late March
Most gone byApr 22-30late April

Best: late March. First arrivals the second week of February; most are gone by late April. Peak: on about 17% of Nebraska checklists.

  1. Janrare
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Mayrare
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decuncommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%5%10%15%20%Jan 1-7: 2.1% of 4210 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.7% of 2891 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.7% of 2685 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.6% of 3834 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.3% of 2803 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.7% of 3134 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.1% of 4508 checklistsFeb 22-28: 5.3% of 3238 checklistsMar 1-7: 12% of 3862 checklistsMar 8-14: 16% of 4894 checklistsMar 15-21: 18% of 5862 checklistsMar 22-31: 17% of 8598 checklistsApr 1-7: 16% of 5530 checklistsApr 8-14: 12% of 5528 checklistsApr 15-21: 8.6% of 6091 checklistsApr 22-30: 4.6% of 8661 checklistsMay 1-7: 1.6% of 9842 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.4% of 10044 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 8863 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 10207 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 4922 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.2% of 4054 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.2% of 3680 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 4349 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.1% of 3277 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 2803 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 2842 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 3920 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.1% of 2981 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.1% of 2819 checklistsAug 15-21: 0% of 3179 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.1% of 4599 checklistsSep 1-7: 0% of 3958 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.1% of 3460 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 3435 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.1% of 4975 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.2% of 3611 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.8% of 3605 checklistsOct 15-21: 1.9% of 3474 checklistsOct 22-31: 4.8% of 4352 checklistsNov 1-7: 6.5% of 3119 checklistsNov 8-14: 12% of 2887 checklistsNov 15-21: 10% of 2568 checklistsNov 22-30: 9.1% of 3506 checklistsDec 1-7: 6.0% of 2453 checklistsDec 8-14: 4.0% of 2756 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.3% of 3760 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.1% of 3746 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Nebraska that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

Embed this map on your site

Where in Nebraska

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Grant CountyBest mid March · 10 checklists that week, 388 in all62%
  2. Cedar CountyBest late March · 26 checklists that week, 1,691 in all51%
  3. Harlan CountyBest mid November · 20 checklists that week, 1,276 in all47%
  4. Dakota CountyBest early April · 58 checklists that week, 2,182 in all37%
  5. Saline CountyBest the second week of March · 18 checklists that week, 724 in all36%
  6. Jefferson CountyBest mid March · 27 checklists that week, 804 in all35%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Salt Lake (west)Lancaster County, best mid March · 25 checklists that week, 805 in all96%
  2. Flanagan Lake & Recreation AreaDouglas County, best late March · 61 checklists that week, 1,089 in all89%
  3. Glenn Cunningham LakeDouglas County, best late March · 23 checklists that week, 754 in all87%
  4. Stagecoach LakeLancaster County, best the second week of March · 23 checklists that week, 937 in all86%
  5. Wehrspann Recreation AreaSarpy County, best mid March · 38 checklists that week, 716 in all80%
  6. Conestoga LakeLancaster County, best mid March · 30 checklists that week, 1,224 in all78%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Nebraska, the Bufflehead is most often listed on checklists started between 11 am and 1 pm (5.1% of those checklists).

0%2%4%6%12 am: too few checklists (60) to judge1 am: too few checklists (70) to judge2 am: too few checklists (74) to judge3 am: too few checklists (97) to judge4 am: too few checklists (318) to judge5 am: too few checklists (1382) to judge6 am: 1.9% of 6945 checklists7 am: 2.8% of 19066 checklists8 am: 3.4% of 24661 checklists9 am: 4.2% of 23438 checklists10 am: 4.5% of 20424 checklists11 am: 5.1% of 16727 checklists12 pm: 5.0% of 14774 checklists1 pm: 5.0% of 14443 checklists2 pm: 5.0% of 14830 checklists3 pm: 4.9% of 14445 checklists4 pm: 4.6% of 13353 checklists5 pm: 4.2% of 10506 checklists6 pm: 4.3% of 9208 checklists7 pm: 2.2% of 6334 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (2406) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (531) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (201) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (82) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January2.1%0.7%0.7%0.6%
February0.3%0.7%2.1%5.3%
March12%16%18%17%
April16%12%8.6%4.6%
May1.6%0.4%0.1%0.1%
June0.1%0.2%0.2%0.1%
July0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.1%0.1%0%0.1%
September0%0.1%0.1%0.1%
October0.2%0.8%1.9%4.8%
November6.5%12%10%9.1%
December6.0%4.0%2.3%2.1%

Neighboring states

  • Kansas: arrives late October, 14 weeks earlier than Nebraska
  • South Dakota: arrives early October, 17 weeks earlier than Nebraska
  • Iowa: arrives the second week of February, in the same week than Nebraska
  • Missouri: arrives early November, 13 weeks earlier than Nebraska

Common questions

When do Buffleheads arrive in Nebraska?
Buffleheads are winter birds in Nebraska: the first arrive in the second week of February, they are common by late February, peak in late March (17% of checklists), and most are gone by late April.
When do Buffleheads leave Nebraska?
Most Buffleheads have left Nebraska by late April, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until early May.
When is the best time to see a Bufflehead in Nebraska?
The Bufflehead is reported most often in late March, on about 17% of Nebraska checklists.
Where in Nebraska are Buffleheads seen most often?
By county, Grant County, Cedar County, and Harlan County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Bufflehead (counties with at least 200 checklists).