Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)

County List:

Rule:

Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes

Nesting and Foraging Habitats are Adjacent during the early breeding season.

Nesting Habitat:
      (Any Lowland Deciduous (Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Any Lowland Mixed (Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing: (Snags or Living Cavity Trees or Man-made Structures - nest boxes) 
   adjacent to: 
      (Pond or River)

Foraging Habitat:
      Pond
      or River

Habitat List:

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Literature:

Habitat: Female Hooded Mergansers nest in tree cavities. They readily accept artificial cavities, often utilizing nest boxes erected to attract Wood Ducks. Hooded Mergansers show a preference for nest cavities located directly adjacent to water, probably because such sites are most easily located by females. Although upland habitat type and area do not appear to be important determinants of nest site selection, nest cavities must be located near adequate brood habitat.

Shallow, fast-moving, cobble-bottom streams that have heavily wooded shores provide optimal brood habitat. In contrast with the primarily fish-eating larger mergansers, the diet of the hooded consists of about 50% fish and 50% aquatic invertebrates. Characteristics of preferred streams appear to be correlated with abundance and accessibility of the diversity of preferred foods.

Preservation of heavily wooded riparian corridors and cavity trees as well as placement and maintenance of nest boxes near optimal brood habitat will help maintain numbers of the species.

Habitat: Breeding: Heavily wooded ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, wooded swamps. Flooded shores with dead standing trees and stumps and wooded clear water streams are ideal habitat.

Special Habitat Requirements: Wooded areas with cavities for nesting. Clear fresh water containing small fish and invertebrates. Little or no human disturbance. Minimum diameter of suitable nest tree is 15 inches.

Habitat: Wooded lakes, ponds, rivers. In summer in forested country, along creeks, narrow rivers, edges of ponds. May be in more open marsh habitats if artificial nest sites are provided. In winter on woodland ponds, wooded swamps, fresh and brackish coastal estuaries.

Diet: Fish and other aquatic life. Feeds mainly on small fish, crayfish and other crustaceans, and aquatic insects; also some tadpoles, a few mollusks, small amounts of plant material. Ducklings eat mostly insects at first.

Nest: Site is in tree cavity near water, usually 10-50 feet above ground, rarely up to 80 feet or more. Also uses artificial nest boxes. Nest of natural wood chips and debris in bottom of cavity, with down added.