Photo of the Week: What the Heck is That?

That's what I said aloud when I first opened this photo snapped by Patch user John F. Vey.

The next thought was, "What a pretty bird." Although I guess I should be calling it handsome, as it appears from the description on Audubon.org this is a male Hooded Merganser – a duck.

Thank you to John for sharing this fabulous photo. What a unique-looking creature!

According to Audubon.org:

The Hooded Merganser is one of North America’s handsomest, though least numerous, ducks. This secretive species prefers wooded ponds, lakes, and streams, where it often goes undetected. Due to its retiring nature, exact population estimates are difficult to obtain.

...Hooded Mergansers are found in the forested areas of eastern North America, with the densest concentrations around the Great Lakes.

...Like other mergansers, Hooded Mergansers dive for their food. They are strong underwater swimmers, with eyes specially adapted for foraging amidst the murky bottoms of lakes and ponds. Unlike other mergansers, which prefer fish, a large portion of the Hooded Merganser’s diet is made up of insects and crustaceans, particularly crayfish. Small fish and a limited amount of vegetation are also eaten.

...The male Hooded Merganser, with his brown sides, black head and back, and white breast and belly, is unmistakable among North American waterfowl. His most distinguishing feature is his crest, or “hood.” At rest or in flight, this hood appears as little more than a white line behind the eye, but when the drake is alert on the water, the fully-raised crest reveals an elaborate hood of white on an otherwise black head. Unlike other mergansers, which sport red bills, the bill of the drake Hooded Merganser is black. As with most duck species, the female is far more understated. She is small and grayish-brown overall, with a shaggy, cinnamon-colored crest at the back of the head.

Read more about Hooded Mergansers here.