Hooded Merganzer

I only saw this small size bird from photos until yesterday!

Wondering around Normandale Lake with my telephoto lens I captured some small birds with “punk” hairstyles. First I guessed that they might be mandarine ducks, but googling the photos I believe that they are actually hooded mergansers.

Later I also learned that their “punk” hair is call crest, which can raise or lower. As nature designs male is handsomely patterned and colored and female is mostly dark brown. They are diving for fishes once a while. Their hair turns to flat soon after getting our of water but raise again after being “blow dried” by wind and warm sunlight.

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They usually migrate to the south for winter. Since spring is around corner and weather is getting warmer and warmer each day, they start migrating back to the north. Minnesota is just their temporary rest place before they head further north toward Canada, where they can spend entire summertime with plenty resources of food.

After long brutal winter I am excited to see such a change of scenery.

Thanks for visiting my post!