Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park
885 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
8,507 Verified sightings across all 39 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Hooded Merganser

The hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) is a species of fish-eating duck in the subfamily Anatinae. It is the only extant species in the genus Lophodytes. The genus name derives from Greek: lophos meaning 'crest', and dutes meaning 'diver'. The bird is striking in appearance; both sexes have crests that they can raise or lower, and the breeding plumage of the male is handsomely patterned and colored. The hooded merganser has a sawbill but is not classified as a typical merganser.

Hooded mergansers are the second-smallest species of merganser, with only the smew of Europe and Asia being smaller, and it also is the only merganser whose native habitat is restricted to North America. The hooded merganser was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Mergus cucullatus. Linnaeus based his account on the "round-crested duck" that had been described and illustrated by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in the first volume of his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands that was published between 1729 and 1732. Linnaeus specified the type location as America... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
American Wigeon
LC

American Wigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca americana

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Northern Shoveler
LC

Northern Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula clypeata

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ruddy Duck
LC

Ruddy Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oxyura jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Cinnamon Teal
LC

Cinnamon Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula cyanoptera

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Common Teal
LC

Common Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas crecca

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Northern Pintail
LC

Northern Pintail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas acuta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Gadwall
LC

Gadwall

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca strepera

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Mexican Duck

Mexican Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas diazi

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Blue-winged Teal
LC

Blue-winged Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula discors

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Snow Goose
LC

Snow Goose

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Anser caerulescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
6 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
9 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
<5%
12 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
13 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
15 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
17 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
20 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
22 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
25 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
27 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
29 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
31 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
32 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
33 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
34 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
35 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
36 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
37 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
38 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
39 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Hooded Merganser in Saguaro National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hooded Merganser sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 885 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Hooded Merganser in Saguaro National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Hooded Merganser in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

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