Listen to the hooded merganser
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the hooded merganser
The hooded merganser is a bird in the family Anatidae (order Anseriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 63 cm.
What does the hooded merganser sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) is a species of fish-eating duck in the subfamily Anatinae. It is the only extant species in the genus Lophodytes. The genus name derives from Greek: lophos meaning 'crest', and dutes meaning 'diver'. The bird is striking in appearance; both sexes have crests that they can raise or lower, and the breeding plumage of the male is handsomely patterned and colored. The hooded merganser has a sawbill but is not classified as a typical merganser.
Hooded mergansers are the second-smallest species of merganser, with only the smew of Europe and Asia being smaller, and it also is the only merganser whose native habitat is restricted to North America.
More from the family Anatidae
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Greylag goose
Anser anser
Northern pintail
Anas acuta
Mute swan
Cygnus olor
Eurasian teal
Anas crecca
Ruddy shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Whooper swan
Cygnus cygnus
Eurasian wigeon
Mareca penelope
Common shelduck
Tadorna tadorna
Tufted duck
Aythya fuligula
Common pochard
Aythya ferina
Frequently asked questions
What does a hooded merganser sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the hooded merganser on this page, including its call. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the hooded merganser endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the hooded merganser as “least concern”.
What family does the hooded merganser belong to?
The hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) belongs to the family Anatidae in the order Anseriformes.
Sources & credits
- Call · Lake Mariah State Park, Wright County, Minnesota, United… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Lake Mariah State Park, Wright County, Minnesota, United… by Jonathon Jongsma – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q241349 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Hooded merganser – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Rhododendrites – CC BY-SA 4.0