About the Hooded Merganser
The hooded merganser is a species of fish-eating duck in the subfamily Anatinae. It is the only extant species in the genus Lophodytes. The genus name derives from the Greek language: lophos meaning 'crest', and dutes meaning 'diver'. The bird is striking in appearance; both sexes have crests that they can raise or lower, and the breeding plumage of the male is handsomely patterned and coloured. The hooded merganser has a sawbill but is not classified as a typical merganser.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
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.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Hooded Merganser sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in France, Spain, Finland, Costa Rica, Poland, Belize, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Haiti, St. Barthélemy, Turks & Caicos Islands, Czechia, Lithuania, Slovakia.
When to see it
Peak activity in January · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Northern PintailAnas acutaThe northern pintail is a fairly large duck with a wing chord of 23.6–28.2 cm (9.3–11.1 in) and wingspan of 80–95 cm (31–37 in).
Ring-necked DuckAythya collarisRing-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.
Greylag GooseAnser anserThe greylag is the largest and bulkiest of the grey geese of the genus Anser, but is more lightly built and agile than its domestic relative.
Side by side: Hooded Merganser vs Ring-necked Duck · Hooded Merganser vs Northern Pintail · Greylag Goose vs Hooded Merganser
Learn the Hooded Merganser for real
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