Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) lives in freshwater wetlands across North America. It feeds on insects and crustaceans. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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A hooded merganser can weigh as little as 453 g and as much as 879 g, yet it dives for fish with a serrated bill that works like a tiny saw. Its length ranges from 40 cm to 49 cm and its wingspan stretches 60-66 cm, making it the smallest North American merganser.
During breeding, a female hooded merganser lays between 7 and 15 eggs, each about 4.3-6.2 cm long, but she only starts incubating after the last egg is laid. This timing forces the clutch to hatch synchronously, so all ducklings emerge the same size and can leave the nest together within 24 hours. Synchronous hatching streamlines parental care, letting the mother protect a uniform brood rather than juggling chicks of different ages.
A female hooded merganser can lose up to 16 % of her body weight while incubating her eggs, a dramatic drop that reflects the high energy cost of keeping the clutch warm. This weight loss is offset by the rapid development of the ducklings, which can dive and feed within a day of leaving the nest. The trade-off shows how the species balances parental investment with the need to stay light enough for agile underwater hunting.
From 1966 to 2015 the hooded merganser's breeding population grew by more than 1.5 % each year, reaching an estimated 1.1 million mature individuals by 2021. This steady rise highlights the species' adaptability to both natural forest wetlands and artificial nest boxes supplied by humans.
Hooded mergansers prefer nesting cavities 1.2-4.6 m above ground, often in dead trees, but will also use man-made nest boxes. Because they rely on mature trees for natural cavities, forest loss directly threatens their breeding sites.
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In the shimmering depths of North America's freshwater lakes and rivers, the Hooded Merganser glides with effortless elegance, its sleek, black-and-white plumage glistening like polished onyx as it dives and weaves through the aquatic world with precision and stealth. With its distinctive crest raised, this diminutive duck navigates the sun-dappled waters with a quiet confidence, its large, expressive eyes ever-vigilant for the fish and crayfish that sustain it. As it swims, its webbed feet paddle softly, leaving barely a ripple on the surface, a testament to the Hooded Merganser's remarkable adaptability and serene beauty.
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