Hooded Merganser in February
Where hooded mergansers are in February, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
February in the Hooded Merganser's year
February still feels like deep winter, but days are lengthening and the first stirrings of the breeding season begin — resident birds start singing on mild mornings and some early nesters are already claiming territories. Late-winter storms can be the hardest feeding days of the year.
For the Hooded Merganser specifically, February is a winter month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 54 states and provinces where hooded mergansers occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where hooded mergansers are in February
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In February, hooded mergansers are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in February
February is inside the Hooded Merganser nesting season — about a month earlier in the South and a month later in the North. Nest: tree cavity or nest box near water. Clutch 6–18 eggs, incubation 26–41 days, 1 per season.
In the South the season is already underway, while northern birds are still settling territories — a pair in Florida or Texas may be on eggs weeks before a pair in Minnesota or Ontario has even chosen a nest site. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in February
- Small fish in ice-free water
Nests in tree cavities and wood-duck-style boxes near quiet wooded ponds and slow rivers.
Don't let feeders run empty during late-winter storms; birds burn enormous energy staying warm. This is also the month to clean and repair nest boxes before early nesters move in.
Full Hooded Merganser diet guide → · Best feeder for hooded mergansers →
Watching hooded mergansers this month
In February, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
If you have a Hooded Merganser box up, watch from a distance for comings and goings — steady traffic means an active nest — the box guide below has the exact hole size and mounting height this species needs.
Hooded Merganser month by month
Hooded Merganser by state
Frequently asked
Where are hooded mergansers in February?
In February, hooded mergansers are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do hooded mergansers nest in February?
Yes — February falls inside the Hooded Merganser nesting season at mid-latitudes.
What do hooded mergansers eat in February?
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.