Hoodies in Da Bronx!!

Duck!

Thanks to all the urban legends that still persist in the Bronx, these hoodies have the Bronx River almost entirely to themselves. Nicole and I were walking through Bronx Park North recently, and were lucky enough to spot a pair of Hooded Mergansers. As you can see, they are very striking creatures, a very unusual looking duck indeed.

Hooded Mergansers swimming about in the Bronx River.

Like most birds, the male is more colorful. However, the male Hooded Merganser does not develop his full multicolored crest and body until he maturity. These ducks can be found all over the eastern seaboard, and prefer swamps and woodland ponds. I guess these particular ducks can thank the Kenisco Dam for slowing the flow of the Bronx River.

If you are in the Bronx and looking for a more convenient place to spot these waterfowl live and in person, the Hooded Mergansers can also be found in the woodponds of the Bronx Zoo. As you can see be their small size in the photo below, they are easy to overlook, but once you spot them, you can't look away.

The same birds, with their small size in perspective with their natural habitat.