Hooded Merganser

Male breeding: (shown below) Very ditinct diving duck. White baloon like raised crest un-mistakable. Black haed with white crest raised most fo the time but when not raised it appears as a bold white stripe. Chest has two black spurs with a white streak inbetween. Black back, feathers, and tail with thin white stripes on lower back. Brown'ish rust colored underparts.

Female: (shown below) Brown overall. Distinct brown rust crest often raised. Thin yellow and black bill. Dark brown backa nd underparts with a long tail often raised out fo the water.