PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

The Hooded Merganser is the most beautiful of all of the Mergansers, with their brownish-black back and wings, a white underside and a bushy head of feathers or a crest. Both males and females have this crest of feathers, and when the crest is erected it looks like a hood, hence the name, “Hooded.” However, the drakes of this species are even more magnificent during breeding season when their plumage is in full display for the females. The breeding males hood’s when erected show a white patch surrounded by black, and when the hood is flat the white narrows to a stripe leading from his bright yellow eyes to the end of the head. The white under-feathers are accented even more with his blackish color of the back and wings. The females, non-breeding males and juveniles are not as majestically colored as the drakes, but they are just as beautiful. The females and non-breeding males are lighter brown and the under-feathers are not as bright. The eyes of the female and immature males are brown; also the bills have a slight tinge of orange at the base and lower mandible. The crest is reddish-brown rather than black like the breeding drakes. The general characteristics in which all Mergansers share are, their bills are narrow, hooked and serrated, which helps them catch and hold on to their slippery prey. The Mergansers are extremely agile out, on and in their watery habitat, but they are clumsy on land due to their legs which are located near the back portion of its body.

DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:

The Hooded Merganser is the only Merganser that resides in North America. They are found living in two distinct populations. The western population lives in the Pacific Northwest, which include Northern Oregon, Washington State, Montana, Canada and Southern Alaska during spring through fall. In the winter, they reside near the Pacific Coast from Southern Alaska to California. The eastern population range is from east of the Mississippi, which includes the eastern half of Southern Canada, east of the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic. They have been seen as far south as the Gulf Coast during the wintering month. The habitat of the Hooded Merganser is forested wetlands, which are found throughout their home range. The Hooded Merganser likes fast moving streams with gavel lain bottoms and flooded shoreline with lots of standing dead trees. These birds require a freshwater source and large trees to nest in, but they have been known to use man-made nesting boxes in treeless areas. During the winter, the eastern Hooded Merganser will fly south to the Gulf Coast where they have been found residing near fresh and brackish waters. The western Hooded Mergansers spend their winter months near the Pacific Coast close to salt waters.

BEHAVIOR:

The Hooded Merganser is mostly a solitary animal, but can be found in small groups. During their migrations, they have been seen flying as singles, couples or small groups. Other migrating birds usually form large flocks during their migration. The Hooded Merganser generally migrate in early spring and late fall following rivers, streams and other waterways to their destination. Hooded Mergansers are not considered to be the most graceful while on land, but they are quick flyers. They take off by running on top of the water, and with wings flapping continuously until they are airborne. While in the air, they are extremely fast and agile flyers weaving through their forest habitat until reaching their destination. They also land fast onto the water, skiing across it until they stop. The Hooded Merganser are not only agile in the in the air, but exceptional divers and swimmers. When diving, they fold their wings close to the body and use their feet to propel them through the water.

DIET:

The diet of the Hooded Merganser consists of frogs, fish, crawfish, mud crabs, clams, aquatic insects and insect larvae. They are visual hunters, using sight to catch their prey. The Hooded Merganser forages by dipping their face just below the surface of the water while paddling. Once prey has been sighted, they aggressively give chase underwater and obtain the prey.

BREEDING and NESTING:

During the breeding season, breeding males display a wide variety of ways to attract potential mates. The Hooded Merganser is extremely vocal letting out a frog-like “croak,” which can be heard a half mile away. They may also display their crest, which will invite the receptive female to mating with them. A “head-throw,” is a common display during courtship. During a “head-throw” a drake will swim parallel to a female with his crest fully erected as he passes the female, he throws his head back quickly until it reaches his back. Then, he slowly raises his head forward while letting out his frog-like voice. The female responds by either ignoring his postures or accepting it by bobbing and pumping her head. The female may also display her receptiveness by stretching her neck and head just above the water and flattening her tail on the water’s surface. Copulation happens on the water with continuing displays by the courting male. The drake and female will cease their relationship once the female starts incubating her eggs. The female will make her nest in old hollow trees, old nests left by another bird or man-made nesting boxes. When nest site competition is high they will share a nest with another species. She prepares her cavity by plucking down from her belly and using materials that already exist if she is using an old nest. When she is done making her nest, she will lay seven to fifteen spherical white eggs. If anything happens to her eggs, she will lay a replacement clutch. She will then, incubate them for about 29-33 days. Twenty-four hours after all of the eggs have been hatched; the mother will lead her ducklings to the water where she will stay with them for about five weeks while they explore their new surroundings.

CONSERVATION STATUS:

The Hooded Merganser has no conservation status, however during mid 1800s early 1900s over-hunting caused a decline to populations. Since then, sport hunters have stop hunting them because the Hooded Merganser is not considered as a prize species. Although hunting them has decreased, their habitat and food sources have also decreased. Logging and channeling of waterways has contributed to the loss of nesting areas, and food is becoming scarce due to pollution. Pollution kills the small aquatic vertebrates that Hooded Merganser depends on as a major food source. The only way this species will be able to survive the next few centuries is for people to become aware of what kind of damage is being done to the waterfowl’s habitat and food resources.
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