Male Hooded Merganser
I photographed this distinct drake at my favorite park—Katherine Albertson’s. This is a Hooded Merganser and it can cause quite the upset for any photographer. These non-quacking ducks are always on the move as agile swimmers and divers. They will plunge into the water and emerge at a distant local. You can never guess where that odd head will pop up next!
male and female Mergansers by Val Lee
The pronounced ID on Hooded Mergansers is the crest at the rear of the head which can expand or contract. In adult males, this crest is a large white patch. Male courtship behavior involves a number of elaborate displays featuring the crest in expansion. Also displayed are definitive vocalizations—chattering or grunting, but never quacking in conversation. Their breeding habitat includes swamps and wooded ponds, visible on the northern half of the United States and Southern Canada. They pair in early winter, nesting in tree cavities (also characteristic of Wood Ducks) near ichthyic-filled waters. Between 10 to 12 spherical and thick-shelled eggs are laid. The female alone incubates the eggs for about a month. The female solely tends the young until 10 weeks of age when they are able to fend for themselves.
Hooded Male Merganser by Val Lee
The Merganser can actually change the refractive properties of its eye to enhance its underwater vision. In addition, the nictating membrane (third eyelid) is very transparent which God most likely installed for diving, like donning a pair of goggles. A resourceful sawbill has been provided—a serrated cutting bill with edges, it being ideally suited for capturing and controlling slippery fish (their staple diet) and other aquatic delicacies such as crustaceans and insects.
Here is a video I shot of a male and female Merganser:
Wow, isn’t God amazing? And just think, Mergansers never have to plant fields, gather into barns or worry about having enough money for their next meal (Matthew 6:26). God has created all they need in abundance. Those who love Jesus Christ need never worry as well—birds bearing the mental picture of this truism. (Matthew 6:27-30 and 7:7-11).
I’d like to add, my friend’s brother is a notable photographer who film captures rare species of birds all over the world. He has extremely expensive equipment that does the job right. However, he had never photographed a Hooded Merganser. His sister let him know they could be photographed right here, in his home state of Idaho. He was quite excited to snap some excellent shots thanks to her helpful info. What a sister!
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