Montana Field Guide

The Hooded Merganser is a small (length 46 cm) duck with a thin, serrated bill and a puffy crest. The adult male has a black head with a large white patch on each side, a dark back, brown flanks, and a white chest with two black bars on each side. The adult female is brownish overall, with a yellowish lower mandible. The first-winter male resembles the female. In flight, both sexes show black-and-white inner secondaries (Peterson 1980, NGS 1983).

Hooded Mergansers differ from other mergansers in being smaller, having white head patches (males), and by lacking a red bill. The differ from the Bufflehead by lacking white sides.

Montana birds presumably migrate to the west coast, unless they overwinter (Skaar pers. comm.). Migration records are from late February to early April and from September to October.

Hooded Mergansers are generally found in river areas bounded by woods and supporting good fish populations associated with clear water (Johnsgard 1986).

Main foods taken are primarily aquatic insects, fish, and crustaceans (particularly crayfish). (Dugger and Fredrickson 1994).

Cavity nester using live or dead trees. Eggs unusual in being almost spherical with disproportionately thick shells. White in color. Clutch size probably not greater than 13. (Dugger and Fredrickson 1994). Hatching dates near Fortine are for early June. Breeding occurs statewide from late June to the end of July.