Hooded Merganser Nest Box Plans

The habitat preferences of Hooded Mergansers are very similar to those of Wood Ducks. They like quiet, shallow, clear-water pools that have sandy or cobblestoned bottoms. They prefer ponds that are near or surrounded by deciduous woods: river bottomlands, small forest pools, millponds, swamps, and beaver ponds. Hooded Mergansers nest 10 to 20 feet off the ground in hollow trees, hollow stumps, other natural cavities, and nest boxes. They prefer to nest near water but have been known to nest up to one mile from water.