Introduction

The Hooded Merganser, or “Hoodie,” is a beautiful duck. The males have black backs, brown sides, white and black crests, and white chests with black stripes. In mid-winter, the males flare their crests in a courting behavior (pictured above). Females, which are a less-colorful brown color, have a rich cinnamon crest, and bob and pump their heads during courting.

Mergansers are our only ducks that specialize in eating fish, which they pursue in long, rapid, underwater dives, where they also take frogs and aquatic insects.  While foraging underwater, they are propelled by their feet, and apparently find all its food by sight, with eyes adapted for good underwater vision. 

According to Audobon, “The Hooded is the smallest of our three native merganser species, and often seems to be the least numerous, as it tends to live around swamps and wooded ponds where it may be overlooked.  A cavity nester along wooded waterways in the temperate parts of North America, it has probably benefitted by taking advantage of nest boxes put out for Wood Ducks.” 

They are also among the fastest-flying of our ducks, especially when startled.

Facts About Lophodytes cucullatus

Size:  16-19 inches

Voice:  Hoarse grunts and chatters

Habitat:  Tree cavities in woodland areas, usually near water.  Breeds on wooded ponds, lakes and rivers; winters in coastal marshes, inlets, brackish rivers, wooded swamps, freshwater marshes and even in urban settings.

Range:  Hooded Mergansers breed further south than the larger mergansers and can be found across most of the United States for at least part of the year, including year-round in New Jersey.

Nesting:  8-12 white eggs in a feather-lined nook, usually in a natural tree cavity (or fallen log). Females often lay eggs in the nests of other Mergansers or even Wood Ducks. After a 26-41 day incubation period, the young are born. They will leave the nest within 24 hours! The mother will call to them from below, and the young will follow her voice and jump to the ground.

NOTE:  This can be a LONG free fall, usually 10′-50′ above ground! I watched a film on this with Wood Ducks and was astounded how high in the tree the nest was. Momma called and they just, without hesitation, jumped! I guess their light weight helps, but they hit the ground whichever way they are positioned and then bounce on impact! 

Rarely, the nests are up to 80’ or more! That film I referred to earlier was one of those rare occasions. They were way up there! The mother (or caretaking female) tends to the young for several weeks, but the young find their own food. They fledge (get their feathers for flying) about 70 days after hatching.

OBSERVATION

LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS! A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE! 

The above info concerning nesting and growing up is a far cry from our enjoyable moments watching most other birds, who gently nurture and feed their young in the nest. Enjoying watching them develop and grow, gaining feathers and strength, for that exciting day of mom and dad teaching the young to fly and leave the nest. 

Folks, I am still having flashbacks from that nature movie: I will never forget that inside-the-nest camera, 70 feet above ground, showing those helpless, cute, cuddly, etc., 24-hour old chicks and then hearing mommy call from WAY DOWN BELOW, at which time, to my amazement/horror, I’m watching them, one by one, hop out of the cavity and tumble head over heels! There was no game plan on how to fall. Finally BOUNCING at the base of the tree! FYI – everyone survived, and mommy led them to the water!

Story Behind the Photo of the Week

It’s Feb. 4 and I am just winding down one of my Looking for Stuff road trips.  I was all over the place, up and through the Delaware Water Gap, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Worthington State Forest, the Blairstown and Knowlton back roads, and now it is around 3:40 p.m. and I am on Route 94 by Vail Road.  My game plan is to cross over the Paulinskill and turn left onto Sipley Road, which is very quiet and parallels closely along the “Kill.”  I get a lot of nice photo opportunities here.  While taking some photos, I notice this lone Hooded Merganser.  I was fortunate that he flared up his crest, or hood, for a nice photo!  I think I just found my photo of the week!

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Charlie Fineran is Allamuchy’s Director of Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman and Allamuchy Historical Society President.