Hooded Merganser vs Ring-necked Duck: How to Tell Them Apart

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

Large614 gWetland

The hooded merganser is a sexually dimorphic species. The adult female has a greyish-brown body, with a narrow white patch over the lower breast and belly. She has a light reddish-brown crest extending from the back of the head. During the nonbreeding season the male looks similar to the female, except that his eyes are yellow and the female's eyes are brown.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · Lake Mariah State Park, Wright County, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Large705 gWetland

Ring-necked ducks are small to medium-sized diving ducks with the following length, weight, and wingspan measurements: Length: 15.3–18.1 in (39–46 cm) Weight: 17.3–32.1 oz (490–910 g) Wingspan: 24.4–24.8 in (62–63 cm) The adult male is similar in color pattern to the Eurasian tufted duck, its relative. Males are a little bit bigger than the female. It has two white rings surrounding its gray bill, a shiny black angular head, black back, white line on the wings, a white breast and yellow eyes.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Doug Hynes · Call · St. Paul Island, Nova Scotia, Canada · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Hooded Merganser and Ring-necked Duck.