Hooded Mergansers Lophodytes cucullatus are the
smallest of the three native Mergansers. They migrate in early Spring along the
Mississippi River and arrive on breeding grounds as soon as the ice is melted. On this pond, they rest and find nourishment
in aquatic insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and vegetation. Pairs form in winter and they will find a tree cavity or wood duck box to built their nest.
