RANGE Southern Canada through the United States
HABITAT Swamps, ponds, marshes, slow-moving rivers
DIET Fish, crawfish, frogs, mud crabs, clams, aquatic insects, and insect larvae
The hooded merganser is a diving duck, finding its prey underwater by sight. They have a nictating membrane (a transparent eyelid) that protects their eyes and enables them to see better while diving underwater.Hooded mergansers can chase fish underwater for up to two minutes.
Unlike the beaks of most waterfowl, theirs are long and serrated to help them hold on to slippery fish.
