Hooded merganser (male)

Description:

The male has striking black and white patterns and chestnut flanks. These small diving ducks eat fish, crayfish, and other food, seizing it in their thin, serrated bills.

Habitat:

Spotted in a back-water slough at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

Notes:

Hooded Mergansers find their prey underwater by sight. They can actually change the refractive properties of their eyes to improve their underwater vision. In addition, they have an extra eyelid, called a “nictitating membrane,” which is transparent and helps protect the eye during swimming, like a pair of goggles.