The smallest merganser in North America, the hooded merganser has the largest crest and is aptly named for that very distinctive field mark. Relatively widespread but not always easy to find because of their solitary nature, these diving ducks are a treat for any birder to see.

Common Name: Hooded Merganser, Hooded Merganser Duck

Scientific Name: Lophodytes cucullatus

Scientific Family: Anatidae

Appearance:

• Bill: Thin, long, serrated edge and hooked tip, black on males and dark gray-black with dirty yellow or orange on the lower mandible on females.

• Size: 16-19 inches long with 24-26-inch wingspan, long tail, prominent fluffy crest
• Colors: Black, white, chestnut, gray, brown, yellow, red-brown
• Markings: Dimorphic species. Males have black upperparts with a large, fan-shaped white crest with a black border. When relaxed, the crest is lowered and shows as a thick white streak behind the eye. Thin white streaks show on the lower back. The white breast is crossed with two black bars on the sides, and the flanks are chestnut and may show faint barring. The tail is black, and the abdomen is white. Females have a brown head with a red-brown crest, a dark gray-brown back with a few thin white streaks and lighter gray-brown underparts. The abdomen is white. On both genders, the legs and feet are dirty yellow. Males have bright yellow eyes, and females have darker yellow-orange eyes. In flight, both genders show a small white patch at the rear of each wing.
  
  Juveniles are similar to adult females but lack the white streaks on the back and are overall more dull and plain.
  
  Species is monotypic.

Foods: Fish, mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic insects, aquatic plants (See: Carnivorous)

Habitat and Migration:

These ducks are found in secluded, forested waterways, such as sluggish rivers, ponds, marshes and lagoons. In summer, they prefer freshwater habitats, but in winter they can also be found in brackish or saltwater areas.

Hooded mergansers are found year-round along the Pacific coast from Oregon through British Columbia and into southern Alaska, as well as in the Ohio River Valley. During the summer breeding season, their range extends into southern Canada and throughout the midwestern United States from Minnesota, Iowa and northern Missouri east to Tennessee and West Virginia and north throughout New England into Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In winter, these birds migrate further south along the California coast and throughout the southeastern United States as far west as central Texas.

Vagrant sightings are occasionally recorded outside this duck's expected range as far as into the Caribbean. Because of their beauty, these ducks are popular in aviaries and exotic waterfowl collections around the world, and escaped individuals might be sighted nearly anywhere.

Vocalizations:

These ducks are typically quiet, but do use a variety of low, growling croaks that may be mistaken for frogs. In flight, their wings make a rapid, high-pitched whistle.

Behavior:

These are relatively solitary birds that are typically seen in pairs or small groups, though flocks up to 40 birds may be seen in winter, especially when open water is scarce. Hooded mergansers are powerful divers, and use both their feet and wings to swim, but because their legs are set far back on their bodies, they are awkward and ungainly on land. In flight, they have fast wing beats and a direct, straight line flight path, and they will run across the water's surface briefly before taking flight. When resting on the water, they often cock their tails upward.

Reproduction:

These are monogamous ducks with an elaborate courtship dance that includes head bobbing and shaking. The male displays his crest and arches his neck toward his back while calling to prospective mates with low growls. After mating, the male has very little to do with any further parenting duties, and the female builds a shallow bowl nest in a cavity such as a snag or duck box 15-20 feet above the ground, lining it with wood chips or other debris. The white eggs are spherical and there are 6-18 in each brood, though because hooded merganser females may lay eggs in other females' nests, one complete brood may have up to 40 eggs.

The female incubates the brood for 25-41 days, and may use broken wing distraction displays to lure predators away from the nest. The precocial young are ready leave the nest within a day after hatching. They leap to the ground and can find their own food right away, though the female guides them for several weeks. Young hooded mergansers will make their first flight when they are 68-72 days old. Because of the long care period, only one brood is raised each year.

These ducks have been recorded as hybridizing with common goldeneyes, buffleheads, wood ducks, red-breasted mergansers and gadwalls.

Attracting Hooded Mergansers:

While these are not backyard birds, preserving dead trees for nesting in appropriate habitats can encourage them to stay nearby. They will also readily use duck nesting boxes.

Conservation:

While these ducks have had population declines in the past, their numbers are currently stable and they are not considered threatened or endangered. Preserving habitat is critical to ensure their ongoing stability, and fishing line should be collected to minimize the risk of tangles and injuries that can affect hooded mergansers. Because these birds are regularly hunted, their populations are carefully monitored to ensure stable numbers for game hunters.

Similar Birds:

• Red-Breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
• Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)
• Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
• Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)

Photo – Hooded Merganser – Male © Peter Massas
Photo – Hooded Merganser – Female © Joan Gellatly
Photo – Relaxed Male Hooded Merganser © Tony Smith