Hooded MerganserHooded Merganser -- South Dakota Birds
| Length: 18 inches | Wingspan: 25 inches | Seasonality: Migrant/Summer |
| ID Keys: Distinctive, with male's white crest, white breast with 2 black bars, and rust-colored sides | ||
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
An elegant little Merganser, smallest of the Mergansers in the state. The male's crest may be either raised, or flattened as in the photo on the right. The photo on the bottom shows both a male and a female.
Habitat: Wooded lakes, pond edges, rivers and streams..
Diet: Mostly fish, also mussels, snails, salamanders, and occasionally plant material.
Nesting: May through June
Breeding map: Breeding bird survey map
Song: Grunts and chatting.
Migrations: Not a long-distance migrant, summering in the Northern U.S. and southern Canada, and wintering in the Southern and Western U.S.
Birdhouses: Will nest in Wood Duck boxes.
Status: Becoming increasingly common as they've adapted to nesting in Wood Duck boxes.
Similar Species: Bufflehead
Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Hooded Merganser
2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Hooded Merganser"
3) eNature.com: Hooded Merganser
Photo Information: November 9, 2002 -- Lake Yankton, below Gavin's Point Dam -- Terry L. Sohl
Additional Photos: Click here for additional higher-resolution photos of this species.
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| South Dakota Status: Uncommon migrant east, rare in the west. Rare in summer in the east, rare in winter statewide. |
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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl
This page was last edited on 02/03/08
