25 replies to this topic

[raho]

Is this a female hooded merganser?

Make May 9, 2012 in Oakdale, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Shallow pond in suburban deciduous swamp.

Roxie Aho

Attached Files

•  _DSC6340.jpg   29.49K   115 downloads

Edited by raho, 10 May 2012 - 01:18 AM.

[Liam]

No photo?

[Triplefeather]

Sure looks like it with its bi-colored beak.

[JimBob]

Sure looks like it

Agree.

[Liam]

Okay, I can see one now. Agree with Female Hooded Merganser.

[raho]

Thank you.

[psweet]

This looks like a female Red-breasted Merganser. A Hooded would be larger headed and smaller bill, and much darker overall.

[JimBob]

The bill is not needle-like, like a Red-breasted would have. I'm sticking with Hooded.

Really over all it just doesn't look like a RBM. Perfect match for a Hoodie here.

[psweet]

Here's a photo of a female Hooded Merganser, taken at the Milwaukee County Zoo:

Hooded Merganser 3-30-07 3 MilZoo by psweet1, on Flickr

and here's one of a female Red-breasted and female Common, taken at North Point Marina this winter:

Red-breasted Merganser 2-19-12 2 IL by psweet1, on Flickr

[JimBob]

To me that just proved my point. This one has its "crest" layed down. A RBM would have a redder head. Anybody else have a opinion?

[JimBob]

Bump? I would really like to see some others agree with female Hoodie.

[Liam]

This is 100% without a doubt a female Hooded, imho. Red-breasted and have reddish-brown heads, Hooded have more grayish-brown heads. Red-breasted have longer, skinnier bills as well. Also, Red-breasted hens don't usually show much of a crest, but when they do, it's very stringy and wiry, not spiky like raho's bird.

[JimBob]

Thank you Liam!

[psweet]

I'll try one more shot:

Hooded Merganser 1-26-12 1 LPZoo by psweet1, on Flickr

Notice how steep the forehead is, and how broad the crest is. Also, the bill on a Hooded is almost stubby. The body is dark, without much contrast between the back and the flanks. And the head should be a darker brown. Compare this with the original photo, and I can't see this as anything other than a Red-breasted.

[JimBob]

Anybody else want to give their thoughts? I still see it as a Hoodie.

[Liam]

Psweet, imagine your bird with its crest down. Don't you think it would look just like raho's bird?
Take a look at these two photos.
Red-breasted: http://vancouverisla...bmerganser1.jpg
Hooded: http://images.northr...-swimming-1.jpg

Some major differences I see are 1.) the hooked bill, which is present in raho's bird, both your Hooded Mergansers, and the one in the link I shared. 2.) Bill color: both your Hooded Mergansers, the linked one, and raho's bird all have bicolored bills. the Red-breasted in the link and in your photo shows a mono-colored orange-ish bill. 3.) Bill length: note the linked Red-breasted and your Red-breasted show long bills that are quite skinny-looking, but raho's bird, your Hooded and the linked Hooded all have medium-sized, broad-based bills.
I really can't see this as anything other than Hooded.

[TheBillyPilgrim]

Definitely looks like a Hooded. Photo's a little over-exposed so color looks off, but all the physical marks (bill shape and color, substantial crest) point that way.

[birdbrain22]

It is a female Hoodie.

[psweet]

Okay, I still can't see this as a Hooded in any way, but either we're looking at two different pictures or we're working from two different sets of books. I will say that you want to throw out the hooked bill -- that's a trait all Mergansers share. I also don't see any way for a female Hooded to be this pale on the flanks, I don't see the long tertials with white shafts, and I see a bifurcated crest that's classic Red-breasted. And I still can't see the angle between the bill and the forehead.

[Liam]

Okay, I still can't see this as a Hooded in any way, but either we're looking at two different pictures or we're working from two different sets of books. I will say that you want to throw out the hooked bill -- that's a trait all Mergansers share.

The hooked bill is present on the Red-breasted Merganser, but very minimal. Not nearly as exaggerated as the Hooded Mergansers seen in this thread (including raho's bird).

I also don't see any way for a female Hooded to be this pale on the flanks, I don't see the long tertials with white shafts

The pale flanks are variable, a quick Google image search will show that plenty of Hooded Merganser hens have pale flanks. The Red-breasted Mergansers techincally aren't supposed to have pale flanks either, but yet there are some that do. The long white tertials shafts aren't always visible.

I see a bifurcated crest that's classic Red-breasted. And I still can't see the angle between the bill and the forehead.

Once again, the crest is down, so it's not your typical view of a Hooded's crest. The way this hen has her crest positioned makes it look less like a Hooded. The angle between the forehead and the bill is affected by this.