Hooded Merganser

Photo of a hooded merganser pair floating on water.
Scientific Name
Lophodytes cucullatus
Family
Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans) in the order Anseriformes
Description

The adult hooded merganser male has black head, neck, and back; the black-margined white crest and chestnut flanks of the male are very distinct. Female is brown with a rust-colored crest. The bill is slim, serrated, with a hooked tip; bill is dark in male and bicolored in female. Male gives a low, froglike sound; female a hoarse “gak.” Mergansers are divers, and the legs are far back on the body; on land, the posture is upright. The head crest may be raised to a nearly circular shape or lowered so that it trails behind the head. Hooded mergansers can leap straight out of the water and is our only merganser that can do so.

Similar species: Common and red-breasted mergansers don’t breed in Missouri and are only seen as migrants and as winter residents. The males of both have green heads and red bills; red-breasted males have a dark chest and ragged crest; common merganser males have a white chest and lack a crest. The females of both have rusty heads and gray bodies.

Size

Length: 18 inches (tip of bill to tip of tail).

Where To Find
Hooded Merganser Distribution Map

Statewide.

Usually seen foraging on rivers, in large streams, and in wooded areas on lakes. It nests in tree cavities on river oxbows, in wooded areas near or over marshes, and in swamps. In winter, usually seen mainly in southern Missouri.

Forages on rivers, in large streams, and in wooded areas on lakes for fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates. Hooded mergansers hunt by sight and dive completely underwater to snag their prey. The serrated bill helps them grab slippery fish.

Uncommon transient; rare summer and winter resident (uncommon in southeast).

The hooded merganser regularly breeds in our state. Like wood ducks, they nest in tree cavities and require standing dead trees for this purpose. They also use specially made nest boxes, which you can build using MDC plans. Clutches are 5-13, though females sometimes lay eggs in each others’ nests, increasing the number of eggs in a nest. Incubation lasts 26-41 days. The downy chicks leap from the nest to the forest floor the day after hatching.

Habitat destruction and overhunting caused populations to decline in the early 20th century, but populations seem stable now. Human-caused habitat disturbance continues to displace mergansers, but landowners putting up nest boxes and allowing dead trees to stand helps keep their numbers healthy.

The hooded merganser, being a species of forest and water habitats, relies on the health of both. Successful nesting requires mature forests complete with dead cavity trees, and successful foraging requires waters that are not overburdened by sediment.

Media Gallery
Photo of a hooded merganser pair floating on water.
Hooded mergansers have crests that trail behind the head or can be raised to create a circular shape.
Anonymous
1/10
Photo of a hooded merganser pair floating on water, with their crests raised.
In Missouri, the hooded merganser is an uncommon transient and a rare summer and winter resident (uncommon in southeast).
Noppadol Paothong
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Photograph of a male Hooded Merganser swimming
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Photo of male hooded merganser in flight.
Mergansers fly quickly because their wings are small relative to their body weight.
Noppadol Paothong
4/10
Photo of a hooded merganser pair floating on water, with female's crest raised.
Hooded mergansers hunt fish and other prey by diving underwater. The serrated bill helps them grab slippery fish.
Noppadol Paothong
5/10
Photo of a male hooded merganser floating on water, with crest raised.
A merganser drake is striking with his black and white pattern, chestnut flanks, and ability to raise his head crest.
6/10
Photo of four male hooded mergansers courting a female.
Often, several male hooded mergansers court a single female at the same time. It can be an elaborate display!
Noppadol Paothong
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Photo of three male hooded mergansers performing courtship display.
Hooded mergansers are usually silent, but during their courtship displays the males give a low, froglike, croaking sound.
Noppadol Paothong
8/10
Photograph of a female Hooded Merganser swimming with chicks.
Hooded mergansers breed in our state, nesting in tree cavities. The downy chicks leap from the nest to the forest floor the day after hatching.
9/10
Photo of a male hooded merganser taking flight from water.
Hooded mergansers can leap straight out of the water and is our only merganser that can do so.
Noppadol Paothong
10/10
Photo of a hooded merganser pair floating on water.
Photo of a hooded merganser pair floating on water, with their crests raised.
Photograph of a male Hooded Merganser swimming
Photo of male hooded merganser in flight.
Photo of a hooded merganser pair floating on water, with female's crest raised.
Photo of a male hooded merganser floating on water, with crest raised.
Photo of four male hooded mergansers courting a female.
Photo of three male hooded mergansers performing courtship display.
Photograph of a female Hooded Merganser swimming with chicks.
Photo of a male hooded merganser taking flight from water.
Similar Species

Where to See Species

About Birds in Missouri

About 350 species of birds are likely to be seen in Missouri, though nearly 400 have been recorded within our borders. Most people know a bird when they see one — it has feathers, wings, and a bill. Birds are warm-blooded, and most species can fly. Many migrate hundreds or thousands of miles. Birds lay hard-shelled eggs (often in a nest), and the parents care for the young. Many communicate with songs and calls.

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