Merganser · Duck ID

Hooded merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus · A thin-billed diver with a fan crest. Has its own merganser limit.

Drake. Photo: Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US · Public domain · source

Length: 16–19 in
Weight: 0.9–1.9 lb
Wingspan: 24 in
Group: Merganser

Typical adult size. Drakes run larger than hens.

Field marks

How to identify a hooded merganser

Drake

Black head with a big white fan crest outlined in black, two black bars on a white chest, chestnut sides and a yellow eye.

Hen

Gray-brown with a cinnamon, bushy crest and a thin bill that is yellowish below.

In flight

Low and fast with quick wingbeats; the thin bill, head and neck are held straight out level with the body.

Look-alikes

Bufflehead: Bufflehead drakes have a white wedge on a glossy head, white sides and a stubby bill.
Wood duck: Wood duck hens have a white teardrop eye patch and a short duck bill.

Photos

Hooded merganser gallery

Hooded merganser: Hen with a fish — **Hen with a fish**Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Hooded merganser: Pair in flight — **Pair in flight**lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0 · source

Hooded merganser: Hen with brood — **Hen with brood**U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain · source

Hear it

Hooded merganser call

Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · original recording

2026-27 bag limits

Hooded merganser limits in six Mid-South states

State	Hooded merganser daily limit	Possession	Total daily ducks	Source
MississippiNov 27–29; Dec 4–6; Dec 9, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	Separate merganser limit: 5 mergansers a day, no more than 2 hooded	3 times the daily limit Not confirmed Opening-day possession wording in the Digest (check the official source)	6 ducks a day (mergansers have their own limit)	MDWFP Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits · checked Oct 22, 2026 Mississippi rules
TennesseeNov 28–29; Dec 5, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	Separate merganser limit: 5 mergansers a day, no more than 2 hooded	3 times the daily limit, except 1 times on opening day and 2 times on the second day	6 ducks a day (mergansers have their own limit)	TWRA Waterfowl and Migratory Birds · checked Oct 22, 2026 Tennessee rules
ArkansasNov 21–29; Dec 10–23; Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	Separate merganser limit: 5 mergansers a day, no more than 2 hooded	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day (mergansers have their own limit)	AGFC Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026 Arkansas rules
LouisianaEast Zone Nov 21–Dec 6 and Dec 19–Jan 31; West Zone Nov 14–Dec 6 and Dec 19–Jan 24	Separate merganser limit: 5 mergansers a day, no more than 2 hooded	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day (mergansers have their own limit)	LDWF Seasons and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026 Louisiana rules
MissouriNorth Oct 31–Dec 29; Middle Nov 7–Dec 13 and Dec 19–Jan 10; South Nov 26–29 and Dec 7–Jan 31	2 a day, counted inside the 6-duck total	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	MDC 2026–27 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest · checked Oct 22, 2026 Missouri rules
KentuckyNov 26–29; Dec 7, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	Separate merganser limit: 5 mergansers a day, no more than 2 hooded	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day (mergansers have their own limit)	KDFWR 2026–27 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Guide · checked Oct 22, 2026 Kentucky rules

Regular-season limits from each state’s official 2026-27 regulations. Possession limits count birds at home too. Federal rules apply on top of state rules, and some WMAs and refuges set stricter limits. Louisiana and Missouri set duck seasons by zone; the dates shown are for every zone.

Mid-South