cccougar Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 Charleston, SC area pond by my house today. Not the usual visitors. I am thinking Mergansers. If so, are they Red-breasted or Common? Something else? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phalarope713 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 Both of these are Hooded Mergansers! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 (edited) Relatively short bill and dark chest say Hooded females or non-breeding males. Keep an eye out for males in breeding plumage; they're impressive. EDIT: Sniped by @Phalarope713 while I was checking range maps! https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Merganser/overview Edited December 16, 2019 by Charlie Spencer 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccougar Posted December 16, 2019 Author Share Posted December 16, 2019 Wow what a surprise! Didn’t see the distinctive male white patch so thought a different type merganser. It’s kind of funny because I just took this photo at a North Carolina rest stop. I thought Hoodies but these are Buffleheads right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird Brain Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 (edited) These are male Hooded Mergansers. Buffleheads don't have the shoulder stripes and have a shorter bluish bill. Edited December 16, 2019 by Bird Brain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccougar Posted December 16, 2019 Author Share Posted December 16, 2019 Thanks for the link Charlie. How does a male become non-breeding? Is it seasonal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akiley Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 Males in any season should have yellow eyes. Dark eyes are a good indicator of female here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 (edited) 15 minutes ago, cccougar said: Thanks for the link Charlie. How does a male become non-breeding? Is it seasonal? Yeah, many birds have non-breeding plumage in the 'off season'. Breeding plumages are often pretty showy, to attract a mate or to let other males know they've wandered into someone else's territory. When the breeding season is over and many species will replace their feathers (molt), they may change color schemes. Some males have the new feathers come in with colors that are better camouflage and less likely to attract predators. Females will get new feathers too, usually in colors pretty close to what they had, but they can also show some significant differences. It all depends on the species. And it's not just feathers. Bills, lores and other body features can change colors and even shapes before and after breeding season. Some young 'first year' males can leave the nest showing those non-breeding colors since they won't be mating soon. Again, it all depends on the species. You may already know that gulls, raptors, and some others may change color patterns several times as they mature, taking years to acquire adult breeding plumages. By the way, I love Hoodies. They're my favorite winter migrants. Edited December 16, 2019 by Charlie Spencer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akandula Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 @cccougar, a helpful tip I wanted to share was that if you see a brown merganser, check its bill color. If it has any yellow on it, it is definitely a Hooded. However, note that this tip does not apply backwards. Nonbreeding male Hooded Mergansers do not show yellow on their bill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccougar Posted December 16, 2019 Author Share Posted December 16, 2019 So, akandula, based on the yellow bill color of the pair in my first photo these are both female? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akandula Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 1 minute ago, cccougar said: So, akandula, based on the yellow bill color of the pair in my first photo these are both female? Yes, based on bill color, eye color, and the "frosty" brown crest, the two birds in the first set of photos are adult females, as well as the two birds in the foreground of the second set of photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 2 hours ago, cccougar said: It’s kind of funny because I just took this photo at a North Carolina rest stop. @cccougar, any chance it was the NC welcome center on I-95 North, just past South of the Border? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Leukering Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 https://cobirds.org/CFO/ColoradoBirds/InTheScope/82.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccougar Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 On 12/16/2019 at 5:34 PM, Charlie Spencer said: @cccougar, any chance it was the NC welcome center on I-95 North, just past South of the Border? Yes it was Charlie! You know that spot too sounds like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nivalis Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 Was reading this and laughed because I just stoped there and saw them myself didn’t take pictures though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Leukering Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 https://cobirds.org/CFO/ColoradoBirds/InTheScope/82.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Is there an echo in here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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