Metazoa info

[Duke Guilmon]

Hooded Merganser



Scientific name:Lophodytes Cucullatus

Length: Male 18.1 in, Female 17in

Weight: Male 1.6lbs, Females 1.5lbs

Life expectancy: 11 years

First appeared: Some time in the late Pleistocene

Location: Live in lakes and ponds near a forest area



Taxonomy:

Class:Aves
Clade:Avebrevicauda
Cladeygostylia
Cladernithothoraces
Clade:Euornithes
Cladernithurae
Clade:Carinatae
Subclass:Neornithes
Infraclass:Neognathae
Superorder:Galloanserae
Order:Anseriformes
Superfamily:Anatoided
Family:Anatidae
Subfamily:Merginae
Genus:Lophodytes
Species:Lophodytes Cucullatus

Diet: The hooded merganser enjoy fish, aquatic insects, and aquatic invertebrates. Their diet mostly includes fish, as it makes up 81% of their diet.

Anatomy: The strangest part of the hooded merganser is the bill. Its bill has evolved teeth like razors in its bill. This has evolved in order to hold its prey. Hooded mergansers also have feathers that can raise up, but both males and females have it. However males are black with a white spot, while females are all brown.

Behavior: Like most members of Anatidae, mergansers will hang in groups,but it is only because they so happened to eat at the same lake. They will fight with each other for food and space as well. The most social bonding between these animals is when males and females are together for the mating season.

Reproduction: Males and Females have a monogamous pairing until the female lays her eggs. Breeding season happens depending on the region, ranging in the months of late February to June. Females lay about 7-15 eggs. When incubating the female might lose weight. The females raise young on their own.

Relationship with other animals: The hooded merganser doesn't share any relationships out side of its species besides predation by animals like falcons and cats, and their prey. Humans have destroyed their habitat but the animal has made a recovery.



He has got a crayfish in is bill

http://birds.audubon.org/species/hoomer

http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/hooded_merganser

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/hoode...ifehistory