Hooded Merganser

1/320s, f9.0, ISO 2000, Canon EOS-1D X w/800mm, x1.4 coverter


Hooded Mergansers breed in swamps and wooded ponds in the northern half of the United States or southern Canada. They prefer to nest in tree cavities near water but will use Wood Duck nesting boxes if available and unoccupied. They form pairs in early winter. Hooded Mergansers are short distance migrants and winter in the United States wherever winter temperatures allow for ice free conditions. These ducks feed by diving and swimming under water to collect small fish, crustaceans and aquatic insects.
Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, Gilbert, AZ
 
12/19/2017