Merganser Ducks
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- Hooded-Merganser
- Common Merganser
- Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Mergansers, like the ones in the top picture, are striking birds. The male has a crest on his head that can be raised and lowered, making the white patch appear larger or smaller.
Females also have a crest, however, there is no white patch on it.
They are also known as sea ducks, and most of the United States population is found around the East Coast, especially in the South.
Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) are the most common, and the largest, of the merganser species.
Males have green heads and orange bills. Females, like the one in the second pictured, have red heads.
With the exception of the Southeast, they inhabitat fresh water areas throughout much of the United States.
Red-breasted mergansers, pictured below, share some physical resemblence with Common Mergansers.
Unlike the other two merganser species, they tend to prefer salt water environments over fresh water environment.
They winter along coastal areas of the United States, with smaller populations found along inland lakes.
© 2005-2009 Patricia A. Michaels