Similar Species
Bufflehead
Breeding male
Buffleheads are smaller than Hooded Mergansers. Males have a white belly and sides whereas male Hooded Mergansers have cinnamon sides.
© Liron Gertsman | Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, November 21, 2015Similar Species
Bufflehead
Female
Buffleheads are smaller than Hooded Mergansers. Female Buffleheads have a white spot on the face that females and nonbreeding male Hooded Mergansers Lack.
© Bridget Spencer | Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, December 24, 2015Similar Species
Red-breasted Merganser
Breeding male
Male Red-breasted Mergansers lack the white head patch seen on Hooded Mergansers and have a longer, thinner red bill than Hooded Merganser.
© Ian Davies | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 04, 2014Similar Species
Red-breasted Merganser
Female/nonbreeding male
Females and nonbreeding male Red-breasted Mergansers have a longer, thinner red bill and a longer neck than Hooded Mergansers.
© Saurabh Sawant | Macaulay LibraryMaharashtra, December 23, 2016Similar Species
Common Merganser
Breeding male and female
Common Mergansers are larger than Hooded Mergansers with a longer, thinner bill and paler sides.
© Tim Lenz | Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 02, 2016Main Species
Hooded Merganser
Adult male
Small duck with slender bill and flamboyant oversized head. Hood (crest) can be raised as shown or lowered, changing the shape of the head and the white head patch.
© Ryan Schain | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 24, 2015Nonbreeding male
Small, brownish duck with fairly long, straight, slender bill. Ragged crest is cinnamon brown, warmer than the rest of the body.
© Amanda Guercio | Macaulay LibraryOntario, February 12, 2012Adult males and female with Canvasback
Courtship typically occurs in groups with several males and a few females. Males raise their crest, pump their head, flap their wings, and give a froglike croak.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, March 19, 2015Adult male
Small duck with straight, slender bill and obvious crest, even when lowered. White chest with black line extending down from shoulder.
© Charles Shields | Macaulay LibraryIllinois, March 04, 2017Female
Small, brownish duck with slender, straight bill. Movable crest can give head varied shapes; it's usually warmer brown than the rest of the bird, especially toward the tip.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 02, 2017Female with juveniles
Hooded Merganser clutch size ranges from 5–13 eggs. Ducklings need little parental care—they can dive and collect their own food within hours of hatching.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, June 03, 2014Male and female
Male's crest when lowered lies against the back of the neck, the white patch minimized to a stripe behind the eye.
© Alix d'Entremont | Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, January 26, 2013Adult male
Flamboyant small duck with oversized head when crest is extended. White chest/sides are crossed by one black stripe and bordered by a second; flanks are chestnut.
© Noah Frade | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 01, 2017Adult male
A slender, serrated bill helps Hooded Mergansers capture aquatic insects, fish, and crayfish. Prey is usually swallowed whole.
© Matthew D. Medler | Macaulay LibraryNew York, November 13, 2014Female
Small brownish duck with warm cinnamon crest and gray-brown body. Long tail is not always visible.
© Gerald Hoekstra | Macaulay LibraryMinnesota, May 15, 2017Immature male (with Red-breasted Merganser)
Smaller than other mergansers (compare to Red-breasted Merganser at right).
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 28, 2016Adult males
Hooded Mergansers preen while swimming or standing on land.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, November 13, 2014Female
Nests in holes in trees and in nest boxes.
© Janis Stone | Macaulay LibraryVirginia, April 15, 2016Adult male
May form small flocks; males perform several types of displays that emphasize the black-and-white crest, especially when females are present.
© Tim Lenz | Macaulay LibraryNew York, March 24, 2017Female and juvenile
Small brownish duck with straight, slender bill and warm brown crest. In summer may be seen with many ducklings in tow.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, June 15, 2014