USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

Breeding Range. (Fig. 35). Fairly common along the Mouse River in McHenry County; rare along the Des Lacs River in Ward County. Early records by Job (1902) and Bent (1901a) during 1898-1901, indicate that this species formerly was a fairly common summer resident and nested along the Sheyenne River in Eddy County and Nelson County. Other records include a group of young birds along the Big Coulee [probably Mauvaise Coulee] in Benson County (Judd 1917); two young birds in the Turtle Mountains within Rolette County on August 7, 1963 (H. F. Duebbert); an adult female that was somewhat broody along the Park River east of Adams on July 17, 1968 (P. F. Springer); and two nests (resulting in 17 young) at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, Stutsman County in 1974 (G. R. Miller).

Breeding Habitat. Wood-bordered rivers and large creeks, and adjoining oxbows, with large populations of small fish.

Nesting. On June 18, 1901 along the Sheyenne River, apparently all of the eggs had hatched, since only broken egg shells were found in the hollow trees (Bent 1901a). Along the Mouse River within the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge, 40 metal nest boxes erected on trees were occupied by Hooded Mergansers as follows: 16 nests in 1970, 27 nests in 1971, and 27 nests in 1972 (R. C. Fields). On July 7 and 8, 1970, Robert C. Fields found that eggs in five nests were still being incubated. On July 24, 1968, a hen with a brood of 10 medium-sized young was observed along the Mouse River in McHenry County (H. A. Kantrud, RES).

In 1970 at the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge, the clutch size was determined to range from 2 to 17 eggs, and averaged 8.7 eggs (R. C. Fields).

Figure 35. Breeding Range of Hooded Merganser.