Hooded Merganser

Overview

The hooded merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus, is a species of fish-eating duck and the only extant member of its genus. As a North American native, it is a strikingly crested bird that is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a global population currently estimated at 1.1 million mature individuals.

Identification

• Adult females have a greyish-brown body with a light reddish-brown crest, while non-breeding males resemble females but feature yellow eyes.
• Males in breeding plumage are predominantly black on the head, neck and breast, featuring large white patches on the sides of the crest and rich reddish-brown lower flanks.
• The bird is the second-smallest merganser, measuring 40–49 cm in length and 453–879 g in weight, and possesses a sawbill.

Habitat

This species prefers small bodies of water such as ponds and small estuaries with ample emergent aquatic vegetation, though it also inhabits larger wetlands and rivers. Its native range is restricted to North America, with year-round populations in the eastern United States and a smaller group in the Pacific Northwest. It is a short-distance migrant that moves to avoid winter conditions, but small numbers are also recorded as feral vagrants in Europe.

Diet

The hooded merganser is a diving predator that hunts largely by sight while underwater. Its diet is variable but usually dominated by fish, supplemented by aquatic insects and invertebrates such as crabs and crayfish.

Did you know?

Female hooded mergansers seek cavities in dead trees or artificial nest boxes up to 4.6 m off the ground, and may lose 8% to 16% of their body weight during the incubation period. Hatchlings are precocial and leave the nest within 24 hours, capable of diving and foraging immediately while remaining with the female for warmth and protection.