Hooded Merganser

	Hooded Merganser
	Cat Given Name:	Duck
	Common Name(s):	Common Loon,  Mallard,  Canvasback,  Horned Grebe,  Wood Duck,  Green-winged Teal,  Red-throated Loon,  Ruddy Duck,  Blue-winged Teal,  Bufflehead,  Northern Shoveler,  Gadwall,  American Wigeon,  Redhead,  Common Goldeneye,  Long-tailed Duck,  Hooded Merganser,  Lesser Scaup,  Common Merganser,  Pied-billed Grebe,  Ring-necked Duck,  Red-breasted Merganser,  Greater Scaup,  American Black Duck
	Other Name(s):	Great Northern Diver,  Wild Duck,  Slavonian Grebe,  Devil-diver,  Hell-diver,  Pink-Eyed Diver,  Water Witch,  Carolina Duck,  Red-throated Diver,  Shoveler,  American Widgeon,  Baldplate,  Oldsquaw,  Harelda hyemalis,  Mergus cucullatus
	Scientific Name(s):	Gavia immer,  Anas platyrhynchos,  Aythya valisineria,  Podiceps auritus,  Aix sponsa,  Anas carolinensis,  Gavia stellata,  Oxyura jamaicensis,  Anas discors,  Bucephala albeola,  Anas clypeata,  Anas strepera,  Anas americana,  Aythya americana,  Bucephala clangula,  Clangula hyemalis,  Lophodytes cucullatus,  Mergus merganser,  Anas rubripes
	Physical Description:	A medium sized duck. Both sexes have a large circular crest. The male's is black with a white patch. The male's face is black and has golden eyes. The back is black and the sides are rusty. The chest is white with black and white stripes and the bill is dark with a yellow base. The female is brownish with a white patch at the base of the wings. The upper bill is blackish-green, and the lower is orange or yellow.
	Physical Statistics:	Length: 15.7 - 19.3 Inches (40 - 49 Centimeters) Weight: 1 - 2 Pounds (453 - 879 Grams) Wingspan: 23.6 - 26 Inches (60 - 66 Centimeters)
	Behavior:	Hooded Mergansers live in lakes and ponds and nest in cavities. They dive to get fish, and migrate south during the winter, meaning they are only seen in the Clan territories during Green-leaf.
	Social Organization:	Hooded Mergansers live in flocks and form breeding pairs and nest together while in the clan territories.
	Approval Level*:	Moderator; Hooded Mergansers are rare due to a lack of lakes and ponds in the forest.
	Kill Difficulty:	Moderate; A Hooded Merganser can deal a nasty blow with it's wing to a cat.
	Hunting Difficulty:	Specialty - Duck; Hunters must wait until their prey comes ashore, and even then, the duck may let out an alarm call.
	Food Quality:	High; Hooded Mergansers are a large meal of rich, flavorful flesh.
*Some creatures require approval to appear in RP. This is to make sure the Admins and Mods who need to know are fully aware of a species currently active in their area. These ratings are mainly for those creatures that are uncommon or pose a threat of some sort to the cats.