Hooded Merganser

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Hooded Merganser in Washington?

With luck. About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hooded Merganser sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 8,123 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 59th most-seen of the 267 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Hooded Merganser in Washington?

January and February. In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Hooded Merganser in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Hooded Merganser?

Between 8 and 11 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hooded Merganser sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Washington the best place to see a Hooded Merganser?

10th of 32. Of the 32 cities where we can rate Hooded Merganser sightings, Washington ranks 10th at about 10%. The best odds are in Denver (United States, about 20%), Vancouver (Canada, about 20%) and Portland (United States, about 10%).

Q: Which relatives of the Hooded Merganser live in Washington?

Same family: Anatidae. The closest relatives of the Hooded Merganser that you can see in Washington (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 40%), Canada Goose (about 40%) and Wood Duck (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Hooded Merganser sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Hooded Merganser is recorded against all the birds logged in Washington (8,123 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Lophodytes cucullatus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusLophodytes
SpeciesLophodytes cucullatus (Hooded Merganser)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Washington

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

8,123 Verified sightings at Washington

4,429 In all 31 parks From 2019 to 2026

January Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Hooded Merganser

The hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) is a species of fish-eating duck in the subfamily Anatinae. It is the only extant species in the genus Lophodytes. The genus name derives from Greek: lophos meaning 'crest', and dutes meaning 'diver'. The bird is striking in appearance; both sexes have crests that they can raise or lower, and the breeding plumage of the male is handsomely patterned and colored. The hooded merganser has a sawbill but is not classified as a typical merganser.

Hooded mergansers are the second-smallest species of merganser, with only the smew of Europe and Asia being smaller, and it also is the only merganser whose native habitat is restricted to North America. The hooded merganser was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Mergus cucullatus. Linnaeus based his account on the "round-crested duck" that had been described and illustrated by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in the first volume of his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands that was published between 1729 and 1732. Linnaeus specified the type location as America... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Flight call0:16

United States · 2017

Call0:25

United States · 2016

Alarm call0:57

United States · 2016

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 65 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
2	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
3	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
4	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
5	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
6	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
7	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
8	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
9	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
11	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
12	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
13	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
14	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
15	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
16	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
17	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
18	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
19	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
20	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
21	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
22	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
23	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
24	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
25	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
26	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
27	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
28	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
29	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
30	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
31	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Denver	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
2	Vancouver	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
3	Portland	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
4	Ciudad Juárez	🇲🇽 México	~10%
5	Seattle	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
6	Minneapolis [Saint Paul]	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
7	Calgary	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
8	Boston	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
9	New York City	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	Washington	🇺🇸 United States	~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	SeaWorld Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	SeaWorld San Diego	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Basel Zoo	🇨🇭 Switzerland	In captivity
6	ZooParc de Beauval	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
7	Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
8	Dresden Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
9	Le Pal	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
10	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
11	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
12	Abilene Zoological Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Ecomuseum Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
14	Zoo Miami	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
15	Whipsnade Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
16	Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
17	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Slimbridge Wetland Centre	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
19	The Maryland Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
20	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	Hellabrunn Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
22	Saint Louis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
23	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
24	Caldwell Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
25	Franklin Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
26	ZooTampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
27	Fort Worth Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
28	Oregon Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	Zoo Knoxville	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
30	Centro Cicogne e Anatidi	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
31	Cologne Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
32	Fresno Chaffee Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
33	Honolulu Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
34	London Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
35	Akron Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
36	Rosamond Gifford Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
37	Lincoln Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
38	Biotropica	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
39	Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
40	The Abilene Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Discovery Cove	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
42	Queens Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
43	Bois de la Bâtie	🇨🇭 Switzerland	In captivity
44	Buttonwood Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
45	Greenville Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
46	Prospect Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
47	Tiergarten Delitzsch	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
48	Tracy Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
49	Zoo Lagos	🇵🇹 Portugal	In captivity
50	Mississippi Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Washington

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Branta canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Aix sponsa

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Anas carolinensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Bucephala albeola

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Spatula clypeata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Branta leucopsis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Mareca strepera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anas acuta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anas rubripes

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Oxyura jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hooded Merganser in Washington?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hooded Merganser sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 8,123 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 59th most-seen of the 267 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Hooded Merganser in Washington?

January and February

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Hooded Merganser in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in May to October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Hooded Merganser?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hooded Merganser sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Washington the best place to see a Hooded Merganser?

10th of 32

Of the 32 cities where we can rate Hooded Merganser sightings, Washington ranks 10th at about 10%. The best odds are in Denver (United States, about 20%), Vancouver (Canada, about 20%) and Portland (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Hooded Merganser live in Washington?

Same family: Anatidae

The closest relatives of the Hooded Merganser that you can see in Washington (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 40%), Canada Goose (about 40%) and Wood Duck (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Hooded Merganser sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Hooded Merganser is recorded against all the birds logged in Washington (8,123 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Washington

Hooded Merganser

About the Hooded Merganser

Sounds

Recent sightings of Hooded Merganser in Washington

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Washington

Mallard

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Green-winged Teal

Bufflehead

Northern Shoveler

Ring-necked Duck

Barnacle Goose

Gadwall

Northern Pintail

American Black Duck

Ruddy Duck

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hooded Merganser in Washington?

When is the best time to see a Hooded Merganser in Washington?

What time of day is best to see a Hooded Merganser?

Is Washington the best place to see a Hooded Merganser?

Which relatives of the Hooded Merganser live in Washington?

Where does the Hooded Merganser sighting chance come from?