Lophodytes cucullatus
Length: 15-19 Weight: 1-2 lbs
Identification:
Male has a distinctive crown of black with a large white spot; black back and red-brown sides. Female has a slightly smaller, brown crown of head feathers.
Distribution:
Resident in eastern US and western Canada. Breeding range extends into eastern Canada, and winter range extends into western US.
Cool Facts:
Mergansers have serrated bills which help them hold onto fish that they catch. They hunt prey underwater by site.
The Hooded Merganser is in a separate genus from the other North American mergansers, and is placed on a family tree between mergansers and goldeneye. The genus name Lophodytes means “crested diver.”
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References:
Bird on the Move 