Hooded Merganser Range Map
Common Name: Hooded Merganser
Scientific Name: Lophodytes cucullatus
Migration: Migratory; all birds migrate short distances, but overlapping parts of the range are occupied year-round
Hooded mergansers are amazing diving ducks that prefer wooded habitats with abundant water sources, such as wooded ponds, marshes, lagoons and rivers, as well as flooded forests and similar regions. Freshwater sources are preferred during the summer breeding season, while saltwater or brackish sources including bays and estuaries are suitable in winter when other water sources may be frozen.
Water sources need to be relatively clean and healthy for these ducks to find plentiful prey, including fish, crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic insects.
These ducks can be found in a wide range of forests, including spruce, fir, pine, elder, cottonwood, oak and cypress habitats. Mature trees are essential, however, as these are cavity-nesting ducks and require suitable trees for their nests, with nesting cavities often positioned up to 50 feet above the ground and up to a half mile or more away from the nearest open water. In areas where duck nesting boxes are available, hooded mergansers may be found in less mature forests or even treeless areas.
Because these ducks are exotically beautiful, particularly males in breeding plumage, they are often kept in waterfowl collections in aviaries, zoos, botanical gardens and private preserves. Escaped mergansers might then appear in nearly any location around the world, so long as suitable habitat is available. They may be solitary or found in pairs, or may congregate with other diving ducks, particularly escaped birds that are unfamiliar with the area or that do not have other mergansers to associate with.
Small merganser flocks are most common in winter, when open water sources are less readily available.
For more information, see the complete hooded merganser profile.
North America Outline Map © WorldAtlas.com.
Scientific Name: Lophodytes cucullatus
Migration: Migratory; all birds migrate short distances, but overlapping parts of the range are occupied year-round
Habitat:
Hooded mergansers are amazing diving ducks that prefer wooded habitats with abundant water sources, such as wooded ponds, marshes, lagoons and rivers, as well as flooded forests and similar regions. Freshwater sources are preferred during the summer breeding season, while saltwater or brackish sources including bays and estuaries are suitable in winter when other water sources may be frozen.
Water sources need to be relatively clean and healthy for these ducks to find plentiful prey, including fish, crustaceans, mollusks and aquatic insects.
These ducks can be found in a wide range of forests, including spruce, fir, pine, elder, cottonwood, oak and cypress habitats. Mature trees are essential, however, as these are cavity-nesting ducks and require suitable trees for their nests, with nesting cavities often positioned up to 50 feet above the ground and up to a half mile or more away from the nearest open water. In areas where duck nesting boxes are available, hooded mergansers may be found in less mature forests or even treeless areas.
Because these ducks are exotically beautiful, particularly males in breeding plumage, they are often kept in waterfowl collections in aviaries, zoos, botanical gardens and private preserves. Escaped mergansers might then appear in nearly any location around the world, so long as suitable habitat is available. They may be solitary or found in pairs, or may congregate with other diving ducks, particularly escaped birds that are unfamiliar with the area or that do not have other mergansers to associate with.
Small merganser flocks are most common in winter, when open water sources are less readily available.
For more information, see the complete hooded merganser profile.
North America Outline Map © WorldAtlas.com.
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