Lophodytes cucullatus: Hooded Merganser - RI - 2015

The Hooded Merganser occurs only in North America in two separate populations, with birds breeding throughout forested regions of eastern North America and Pacific Northwest. This species primarily winters in the southeastern US, but also occurs as far north as Massachusetts and British Columbia. Their population size is estimated at 300,000 to 400,000 individuals, and current crude trend estimates suggest their population is stable or potentially increasing (seaduckjv.org). In Rhode Island, this cavity nester prefers remote wooded swamps and impoundments, but they also will often use Wood Duck nest boxes. During the 1982-87 Breeding Atlas study (Enser 1992), this species was only documented nesting in one area in the northwestern corner of the state. The current status of Hooded Mergansers during the breeding season is unclear as there are few records during June and July. In the winter, Hooded Mergansers are mainly detected within 10 miles of the coast, and there are few interior records (primarily because these water bodies are frozen most years). Historically, this species was negatively impacted by harvesting mature forests throughout the region, with reduced the number of available nesting cavities. As forests have matured in the region, the number of natural nesting cavities has increased, thus this limiting factor is minimized. However, the nest box program could be continued to increase the number of nesting sites for this species and Wood Ducks. Management actions suggest that more needs to be learned about the current distribution of breeding birds and wintering birds, habitat requirements, prey/habitat interactions, contaminants, and the impact of hunting on this species (an estimated 90,000 individuals are harvested annually, mainly in the Mississippi Flyway; seaduckjv.org).