Hooded Merganser

Hooded Mergansers

Mergansers are divers. Their beaks are different than ducks. The narrow saw-edged beaks help them catch and hold fish. 

Mergansers often nest in cavities, including tree holes and they are reported to favor the nests of large woodpeckers. In my neighborhood the largest woodpecker is the Pileated and the usual nest is about thirty meters above the ground in a dead tree or a utility pole. Perhaps someday I will see a Merganser and a Pileated Woodpecker sparring for this location. 

References

Sibley, David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.

Tudge, Colin. The Bird. Crown Publishers. New York. 2008