Merganser diving ducks are also known as “fish ducks” or “sawbills.” These nicknames come from the duck’s typical diet of fish, as well as from the sharp and jagged bumps on their bills. This characteristic helps mergansers keep hold of fish while they hunt. There are three types of mergansers in North America – the hooded merganser, the common merganser and the red-breasted merganser. The Virginia Living Museum currently has the hooded merganser on exhibit.
The hooded merganser has a colorful plumage, weighs about a pound and a half, and is 16 to 18 inches long. The hooded merganser can fly very fast and low to the water, allowing it to catch much of its prey. It eats mainly aquatic animals such as fish and fish eggs more than vegetation. Hooded mergansers prefer forested wetland systems, where they nest in tree cavities or nest boxes and lay an average of nine to 11 eggs.
