Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus

Small diving duck with thin serrated bill. Breeding males have showy black-and-white crest, a couple zebra stripes on the white breast, and cinnamon-colored sides. Females are brown with a puffy crest and partly yellow bill. Looks slender and long-necked in flight, with very fast wingbeats. Widespread across much of North America, but usually only seen in pairs or small flocks. Nests in cavities near small ponds or marshes; especially fond of wooded swamps. In winter, usually found on calm bodies of water; almost never on the ocean. Sometimes mixes loosely with other duck species.