Hooded mergansers are looking for nesting spots in east Idaho

While looking for migrating birds along canals, rivers and ponds over the last couple of weeks, I have seen an increase in pairs of hooded mergansers.

Last week, I saw five males competing for a single female while two pairs of mergansers fed on a small pond about a hundred yards from the South Fork of the Snake River. The single female flew off with the five males following her before I could get a good picture, but the two pairs continued feeding.

Four male hooded mergansers vying for a female. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com

In all, I have observed eight pairs of these beautiful small ducks swimming and feeding together multiple times. That probably means the female has located a nest site and is waiting for the time when she is ready to nest.

It is a little early for mergansers to nest, as I have only witnessed one male displaying to his significant other. They usually pair up during early February but do not start nesting until mid-April.

Due to the lack of moisture this winter, many of the ponds and small canals that usually hold water have dried up. With the slight runoff that we are experiencing now, some of them have water starting to show up, and this is where we are seeing the hoodies, as well as some pairs of wood ducks showing up.

Both of these species of ducks are cavity nesters, and they are always looking for water in the heavily forested areas along the Snake River, Teton River and the Henrys’ Fork to nest in. On Wednesday, I watched both a woodie hen and a hoodie hen check out the same dead tree cavity, but neither went in the hole.

The population of hoodies appears to be growing in east Idaho. The making and placing of nest boxes may be the reason, as these ducks readily take to nest boxes with an entrance hole from 3 to 5 inches in diameter.

The hoodies are smaller than the wood ducks, so they can use a 3-inch entrance, while the woodies need a larger hole. Several years ago, I put out six nest boxes along the Teton River, and the wood ducks used the ones with the larger holes while the two with the smaller holes were used on and off by northern saw-whet owls. Last year, a pair of hoodies used a nest box that an owl had used two years before.

If you put out nest boxes, other birds or animals may try to use them. Squirrels, northern flickers, starlings, owls and several species of ducks may try to use them.

In the spring, after the female starts sitting on the nest, the male leaves her and she will raise the ducklings by herself. Like wood ducks, within a day of hatching her eggs, the hoodie hen will get on the ground below the nest, call the little ones, and they will jump out to her.

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After she starts sitting, it is difficult to find her or the ducklings because they hide rather well and do not return to the nest area. So, to see them, you will have to locate them during the next two or three weeks. But it can be an exciting time as the male fights off bachelors who would like to steal the female.

The spring migration is just beginning: Swallows have shown up and the duck migration is in full swing. The snow geese failed to show up in their usual large numbers, but a few are visiting Mud Lake. Swainson’s hawks should also show up in the next 10 days or so.

Meanwhile, most bald eagles are now nesting, sandhill cranes have mostly moved north, and the Canada geese are still fighting over the females. Songbirds are just starting to show up, and it is an exciting time to see the male pheasants battling over their territories.

Get out and enjoy nature at its finest.

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