Mergus merganser
The Common Merganser, a distinguished member of the duck family, is a large, streamlined diving duck known for its striking appearance and piscivorous diet. Males are instantly recognizable with their clean white bodies, black backs, and iridescent dark green heads lacking a distinct crest, contrasted by a bright red, slender bill. Females, while more subtly colored, possess a distinctive rusty-cinnamon head with a shaggy crest and a sharply demarcated white chin, atop a gray body. These impr...
Found on large, clear, freshwater lakes and rivers, often with forested banks for nesting. Winters on open freshwater, coastal bays, and estuaries.
Primarily piscivorous, feeding on small to medium-sized fish, complemented by aquatic insects, crustaceans, and frogs. They forage by diving and actively pursuing prey underwater.
Common Mergansers are diurnal, spending their days foraging and resting on water or secluded shorelines. They are expert visual pursuit divers, propelling themselves underwater with powerful feet to chase and capture fish, often staying submerged for 30 seconds or more. During the breeding season...
The Common Merganser boasts a wide Holarctic distribution. In North America, it breeds across the boreal forest zone of Canada and Alaska, extending south into the northern tier of US states, including the Great Lakes region, New England, the Pacific Northwest, and the Rocky Mountains. North Amer...
Least Concern
- Common Mergansers are one of the few duck species that nest in tree cavities, often using old woodpecker holes or hollows up to 50 feet (15 meters) above the ground. - Their scientific name, 'Mergus merganser,' literally means 'diver diver,' a testament to their exceptional diving abilities. - ...