The male Hooded Merganser is a unique and colorful little duck. The smallest of the three species of mergansers found in North America, the Hooded Merganser stands out with its fan-like crest that can be raised or lowered, thus changing the shape of its head. The hood, or crest, is raised in this photo. Unlike other members of the duck family, the Hooded Merganser has a long, thin serrated bill as opposed to the wide, flat bill we are used to seeing on Mallards or Pekin ducks. Also unlike other ducks who eat mostly plant material and seeds, the Hooded Merganser likes to dine on fish.
A unique and colorful little duck
