Hooded Merganser in January
Where hooded mergansers are in January, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
January in the Hooded Merganser's year
January is the coldest month across most of the US and Canada. Natural food is at its scarcest — insects are dormant, many seed heads are stripped, and snow cover hides what remains. Birds concentrate where food is reliable, which makes this the single best month to watch a well-stocked feeding station.
For the Hooded Merganser specifically, January is a winter month of relative routine, with the species settled into its seasonal pattern across its range. 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 January
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In January, 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 January
Hooded mergansers are not nesting in January. The season runs February–May at mid-latitudes, starting roughly a month earlier in the South.
That makes January a useful month for nest-box work: cleaning out old nesting material, checking mounts and predator guards, and making repairs while boxes are empty. A box that's ready early gets claimed early.
What to feed in January
- Small fish in ice-free water
Nests in tree cavities and wood-duck-style boxes near quiet wooded ponds and slow rivers.
Keep feeders consistently filled; birds add dependable stations to their daily foraging routes and suffer when one suddenly runs empty during a cold snap. High-energy foods matter most now.
Full Hooded Merganser diet guide → · Best feeder for hooded mergansers →
Watching hooded mergansers this month
Hooded mergansers are settled and predictable in January, which makes this a good month to learn the bird's routine — same feeders, same perches, same times of day.
If you have a Hooded Merganser box up, this is the month to make sure it's clean, secure and ready — 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 January?
In January, hooded mergansers are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do hooded mergansers nest in January?
No — hooded mergansers typically nest February through May at mid-latitudes.
What do hooded mergansers eat in January?
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.