Photo by DON BARTLING
The white patch on the male Hooded Mergansers cheeks are to scare off predators and to warn away rivals, which he raises when alarmed. The female looks like she is having a “bad hair day.”
March 8, 2018
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March 8, 2018 midnight
Hooded Merganser ducks make a handsome couple!
Last week while exploring in Boundary County I came across a handsome pair of ducks that I didn’t recognize. After taking a few pictures of them I consulted my Birds of Idaho field guide and learned they were Hooded Mergansers. I discovered that Hooded Mergansers are found from southeastern Alaska, central British Columbia and southwestern Alberta to Oregon, Washington, Idaho and northwestern Montana.