The hooded merganser is a cool looking bird. The pictures below were taken on a gloomy, overcast day at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida and the colors don't stand out like they would if it were sunny. The term "hooded" refers to a crest at the back of the head which is black with a large white patch in males, or is all cinnamon colored in females. The males have reddish-brown sides and black with some white patches on the chest and back. To me they look ornamental, like something exotic to be put on a pond to swim around on, like colorful koi.
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| Hooded mergansers at Merritt Island NWR |
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| This photo gives the best view of the reddish brown sides and you can barely make out the reddish brown eye. I'm wondering if the term "odd-looking duck" comes from someone viewing these. |
They remind me a little of Napoleon's bicorne hat. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicorne
ReplyDeleteI really like these posts on birds you do. I'm always amazed by the variety of wacky, interesting animals in the world
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