Female Hooded Merganser, Ottawa, Canada 26 Oct 2022

The Hooded Merganser is a small duck and is the only member of the genus "Lophodytes". Hooded Mergansers have a crest at the back of the head which can be expanded or contracted. In adult males, this crest has a large white patch, the head is black and the sides of the duck are reddish-brown. The adult female has a reddish crest, with much of the rest of the head and body a greyish-brown.