Bird name:

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatusOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: HOME Scientific Name: LOPCUC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175183

Hooded Merganser - The male Hooded Merganser has a black head, neck, back, and chestnut flanks. The underparts are white with two black bars on the sides of the breast. A distinct crest shows a large white patch when raised and a white stripe extending backwards from the eye when lowered.

Hooded Merganser Female - The female Hooded Merganser is brown overall with a bushy brown crest, gray upper breast and flanks and white markings on the wings. The upper bill is dark brown and the lower bill is dark yellow.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser: Small merganser with black upperparts and white underparts with two black bars on side of breast; red-brown flanks. Crest shows large white patch when raised, white stripe extending backwards from the eye when lowered. Dark wings have white shoulder patches visible in flight.

● Song: "crrrroooo"

● Foraging & Feeding: Hooded Merganser: Forages underwater, diving from the surface and capturing fish with its serrated and hooked bill; also feeds on crayfish, snails, frogs, insects, aquatic plants, and seeds.

● Breeding & nesting: Hooded Merganser: Six to eighteen white eggs are laid in a hollow tree, stump, or other natural cavity lined with down. Nest is usually near water and 10 to 20 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 32 to 33 days and is carried out by the female; once the female begins to incubate, the male abandons her.

● Similar species: Hooded Merganser: Bufflehead has smaller bill, dark eyes, and lacks black breast bars and brown belly.

Flight Pattern

Rapid direct flight with fast wing beats., Flies silently and swifty.

● Range & Habitat: Hooded Merganser: Breeds and winters in the Great Lakes region, eastern Canada, and the Pacific northwest. Preferred habitats include small forest pools, millponds, swamps, and beaver ponds.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationIncreasing

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight24 Ounces

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America