Bird of the Week – Hooded Merganser
The third species of Merganser that breeds in North America is the Hooded Merganser. The male likely wins the prize for snappiest headgear among North American birds.
Hooded Merganser, Sitka, Alaska
Hoodies are the smallest of the three mergansers, and the only one that breeds only in North America. A cavity nester, it prefers cavities – or manmade nest boxes – in old trees near or over water.
Hoodies have extensive courtship displays, including the upward neck stretch.
Hey, Baby! What’s your sign?
Hoodies have an attitude that is much larger than their diminutive size. They’re fun to watch. Unfortunately, humankind’s relentless cutting of old growth forests, where it’s the old trees that have the cavities, has reduced the population of the species. We can make up for our error by constructing and maintaining more nest boxes, which Hoodie females accept pretty well.
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
I shot one in my youth.. tasted pretty fishy.. and pretty much ended my day of duck hunting, cuz it used up my daily allotment of points.. was a good shot tho’ as I only had a single shot shotgun back then….
Hast though gotten any California rain, yet, Sir? Been awhile since I last asked.
Quiet paddling around and about..in lake and stream..the tilt of their heads, the soft curl of wings to task, nearby..as they..reset themselves. Sometimes it is a pathway..a mental one..to focus upon..’where they were’..and try to gauge where they will chose to be next. A ..moving-meditation.
Now there is an endangered looking bird. Combining black plumage and black hoodies is a sure-fire recipe for suicide by cop. Time to evolve some more birdies.
🙂