The Hooded Merganser is the smallest of North America's three native mergansers, the only North American ducks that specialize in eating fish. The Audubon Field Guide describes it as a cavity nester that readily uses nest boxes, with a clutch of 10 to 12 white eggs and incubation of about 33 days. It is a native migratory species, so check the rules before you buy.
| Size | 16 to 19 in; the smallest of the three native mergansers |
|---|---|
| Diet | Mainly small fish, crayfish and other crustaceans, and aquatic insects |
| Nest | Tree cavity near water, 10 to 50 ft up; also uses nest boxes |
| Clutch | 10 to 12 white eggs, sometimes 7 to 13 |
| Incubation | 26 to 41 days, usually about 33, by the female |
| Fledging | About 70 days after hatching |
Native and wild-type game birds can need state or federal permits. See the FastPoultry legal guide before you buy.
Source: Audubon Field Guide, Hooded Merganser species account, read 2026-10-08. Individual lines and strains vary, so ask each breeder about their own stock.
You can request Hooded Merganser through FastPoultry, which matches buyer requests with breeders. Choose from 2 request pages for adult birds and breeder pairs, then tell us your quantity, preferred age, and delivery state in the form on this page. Matched breeder options arrive within 1 business day, and you arrange payment, pickup, or shipping directly with the breeder you choose.
Prices for Hooded Merganser are set by each breeder and change with season, line quality, age, and quantity, so FastPoultry does not publish a fixed price. Submitting a request is free. Matched breeders reply with current pricing, and you should ask whether the quote includes boxing, shipping, and vaccinations before you pay the breeder directly.
The Audubon Field Guide says Hooded Mergansers feed mainly on small fish, crayfish and other crustaceans, and aquatic insects, with some tadpoles, a few mollusks, and small amounts of plant material. Young ducklings eat mostly insects at first. They hunt by diving and find food by sight, so ask the breeder exactly what diet their captive-raised birds are on before they arrive.
The Hooded Merganser is part of the FastPoultry Game Waterfowl catalog, with request pages for adult birds and breeder pairs. We do not yet publish a full care profile for this breed, so ask matched NPIP-certified breeders about temperament, climate fit, space needs, and the purpose of their line before you commit.
The Hooded Merganser can be requested as adult birds and breeder pairs. Adults are proven layers or show birds at point of lay or beyond. Breeder pairs are proven, compatible stock for starting your own breeding program. Pick the age that matches your brooding setup and how soon you want eggs or breeding stock.
The USDA NPIP state importation table (May 20, 2026) lists VS Form 9-3 as required for shipments into 44 of 50 states, and 31 states list a permit, approval number, or other entry requirement, so check your state's location page before you order. VS Form 9-3 is the NPIP report of sales that the shipping breeder completes, and some states add a permit number, a Pullorum-Typhoid or avian influenza clean-flock rule, or a health certificate. FastPoultry does not ship to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands through standard requests.
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