Hooded Mergansers - yesterday we saw a male and female Hooded Merganser along the Hoodlebug Trail, Two Lick Creek area south of Homer City. We werent able to photograph them but these photos from Wikipedia Commons gives you a good look at their features. The males have large white patches on their heads and always look regal to us. The females are a little less showy with rust colored feathers on their heads. Mergansers nest inside tree cavities and will also use wood duck nesting boxes. They reside in our area year-round. Hooded Mergansers often lay their eggs in other females’ nests. They are a diving duck and feed underwater on small fish, aquatic insects, crustaceans (especially crayfish), amphibians, vegetation and mollusks. Their populations have been increasing in recent decades due to less pressure from hunting.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 11:30:01 +0000
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