Diet
What do hooded mergansers eat?
Small fish, crayfish and aquatic insects.
Ducks and geese (Anatidae)Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
Spring and summer diet
- Minnows, crayfish and aquatic insects
Fall and winter diet
- Small fish in ice-free water
Best feeder foods
- None — needs fish-bearing water
Nests in tree cavities and wood-duck-style boxes near quiet wooded ponds and slow rivers.
Where hooded mergansers need winter food
Regions where hooded mergansers are present in the cold months:
AlabamaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaQuebecRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Frequently asked
What do hooded mergansers eat?
Small fish, crayfish and aquatic insects.
What is the best food to feed hooded mergansers?
None — needs fish-bearing water.
What do hooded mergansers eat in winter?
Small fish in ice-free water.
Sources
- Hooded Merganser — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Hooded Merganser life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Hooded Merganser — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.