Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) – A Fish-Eating Diving Duck!

Among a lot of diving duck species, the Hooded merganser is a fairly common small waterfowl with a fan-shaped hood or crest. Curiosity will come to mind if you ever see them in the wild.

So, what do you think about Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)? Similar to the common merganser, the Hooded Mergansers are seen mostly near water habitats and as forest dwellers. Aside from living space, they have a unique appearance and migration habits. Surprisingly, they’re sexually dimorphic ducks.

To know more about the duck species, you’ll pour your mind with a LOT of knowledge of the Hooded Merganser in the end. I’ll try to emphasize everything about this duck breed, from history to the present availability of such diving ducks – I’ll try to emphasize everything. So, keep on reading this article. 

An Overview Of Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) Ducks

Before I start elaborating on everything about this duck species, have a quick look at their common facts.

History Of Hooded Merganser Ducks

Comes with a distinctive crest or hood, Hooded Mergansers are the second small duck species from North America. History says Hooded Merganser was named Mergus Cucullatus by Carl Linnaeus in his popular 1758 Systema Naturae. 

However, you can find them all over the years in two distinct ranges. From Nova Scotia down to Eastern Oklahoma and Northern Louisiana. On the other hand, smaller ranges like southern British Columbia and coastal along with Washington, Oregon, and western Montana.

American Bird Conservancy found the Hooded Merganser is a short migratory bird that travels south to avoid bad weather.

Description And Appearance Of Hooded Merganser

The merganser bird has a unique level of appearance most people love, having crests and colorful plumage. Let me describe you based on their gender.

Hooded Merganser Male:

When considering adult males have sharp black-with-white patterns with chestnut flanks. The duck’s lower flank has a reddish-brown color, while the breast and undersides are mostly white and white stripes across their breast and crop.

To spot them more subtly, look for bright yellowish eyes, black bills, and dull yellowish feet. Interestingly, During their courtship behavior, they become too aggressive towards other males and raise their crest in front of female ducks.

Hooded Merganser Female:

Then comes the female with brownish-gray feathers and a white patch over its belly and breast, which is narrow. Distinctively, they have reddish-brown or cinnamon crest with brown eyes.

Surprisingly, nonbreeding seasons make it difficult to identify the males and females as they look similar. Just the exception is the yellow eyes of males and the brown eyes of female ducks.

Looking at the video will clarify more facts about their look.

Hooded Merganser Size And Weight

As I stated, they’re quite small in size; let me share the average size of male and female Mergansers. 

• Length: To be more specific, The male and female merganser are around 1.3 to 1.6 feet (41 to 48 cm).
• Weight: According to studies taken from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, male mergansers weigh around 2 pounds (0.9kg), whereas female mergansers weigh 1.6 pounds (0.7 kg).
• Wingspan: If talking about wingspan, it’s 23.6 to 26.0″ (60 to 66 cm)

Hooded Merganser Location And Habitat

Wondering where can you find this duck? They are usually available near marshes, streams, or wooded sloughs. You might see the mergansers near their preferred areas, mostly in freshwater and near rivers.  They prefer this type of place because the trees give nesting opportunities by providing cavities.

During the winter, these ducks are seen along the East Coast of the US, the Gulf Coast, and sometimes in California, Oregon, or Washington. The great forager duck, also known as the lake bird, is mostly in Southern Missouri.

Hooded Merganser Ducks Migration

As you already know, they are migratory ducks, so they occasionally visit other locations when they find it necessary. Ducks’ migration time is usually late fall and early spring. So, Hooded Merganser won’t be any different. 

But we actually consider them as medium-distance migratory ducks in particular. So, either you see them moving South or Southwest, or maybe they visit North due to winter to spend the season in the Canadian Great Lakes.

Hooded Merganser Diet

The super-diving duck, as a predator in water, mostly hunts small fish. Studies found fish in their regular diet can cover up to 81%. Besides, they try to eat aquatic insects, about 13 to 20%. Whereas other invertebrates, like crayfish, crabs, or other crustaceans, take about 22 to 50% each day as a part of their meal.

Not to mention, they also love tadpoles and mollusks. If considering young baby ducklings, insects are their favorite meal. It’s what the National Audubon Society claimed based on research they perform.

Reproduction And Breeding Of Hooded Merganser

Hooded Mergansers usually make monogamous pairs, and they remain until it’s nesting and laying time. They actually compromise for the female to incubate and proper care. For reproduction, their safe and secure cavities are near dead trees. And cavities are always around 4 to 15 feet from the ground.

Curious about the breeding time? It happens between the last of February and the Last of June.

Egg Laying Ability Of Hooded Merganser Duck

Female ducks typically lay a clutch of 7 to 13 eggs, but they delay beginning incubation until the last egg has been laid. And their incubations last around 29 to 37 days. At that time, female ducks lost their weight by around 8 to 16%.

Once the eggs hatch, all of them leave the nest within 24 days. The nest is long enough to allow for synchronous hatching.

Is There Any Ecosystem Connection With Hooded Merganser?

There is a connection between Hooded Merganser and the ecosystem. For example,

• They control the prey populations mostly when they consume small fish and other aquatic insects.
• Their nesting habits help other birds to make cavity-nesting, which is safe from predator attacks.

Can Hooded Merganser be A Backyard Pet?

Not really, as Hooded Mergansers are wild migratory birds in nature. Besides, some considerable facts are there. Check them out!

• Legal And Ethical Fact: Not all countries gonna let you keep the bird by catching it from the wild. You need legal permission to keep it.
• They Have Behavioral Differences: As they are wild ducks, they may have differences in social interactions, foraging, flying, or due to Captivity. If you get it from the wild, they’ll surely be stressed or sick.
• More Aggressiveness: They born in wild and wild animals have more aggressiveness than any backyard duck or domesticated duck. So, their wildness may not suit your expectations.

6 Interesting Facts About Diver Hooded Merganser Duck

Hooded Mergansers are unique in appearance and activities. Aside from all the things I talked about, there are some interesting facts about such waterfowl.

1. Hooded Mergansers have unique eyelids named “Nictitating Membrane.” This works like a pair of goggles that protect the eyes when they swim.
2. They are skilled diving ducks who can stay underwater for a long time.
3. Hooded Mergansers have serrated bills to catch slippery creatures to eat.
4. Such ducks vocalization seems like frog croaks that you can hear during their breeding time. They can whistle and grunt as well.
5. History says the oldest Hooded Mergansers was 14 years old and was shot in 2009 in Mississippi.
6. Hooded Mergansers follow the “brood parasitism” idea while nesting.

Recommended Articles:

• Australian Spotted Ducks
• French Rouen Duck Breed
• Tufted Duck Breed: A Nature’s Charms
• The Mandarin Duck: A Photographer’s Dream

Final Words

So, it’s all about Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) ducks in the wild. They are not only wild birds but also migratory ducks with excellent diving ability. They dive underwater and catch aquatic creatures like insects, small fish, crayfish, etc. Besides, you can find them in 2 different ranges.

However, they are small in size but have a unique crest on their heads that makes them stand out among their species. And most importantly, they are sexually dimorphic ducks and monogamous pairs during their breeding time.

Sources & References:

• https://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/understanding-waterfowl-courtship-and-pair-bonding
• https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/hooded-merganser