I really love today's bird. Every time I see one, I remark on its interesting plumage. The Hooded Merganser is the smallest of three North American mergansers and the only one restricted to this continent. We've seen several in our wanderings of Maryland this year; here, they are year-round inhabitants. Most recently, we saw some in a golf-course pond on the eastern shore. Hooded Mergansers winter in the U.S. wherever temperatures allow for ice-free ponds, lakes, and rivers.
Male Hooded Merganser
The cool thing about Hooded Mergansers is that they have a crest at the back of the head that can expand or contract. Breeding males have a large white patch in this crest, while adult females have a reddish crest. No diss to the females, but male Hooded Mergansers are really pretty, especially when they expand their crests.
Two male Hooded Mergansers
Male and female Hooded Mergansers
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