common merganser (Mergus merganser)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION

• Length: 18 inches Wingspan: 37 inches

• Large, sleek diving duck

• Long, pointed bill with serrated edges

• Red bill is thick at base, tapering towards tip

• Sleek, tapered crest, more obvious on females than on males

• Brown eye

• White secondaries

• Immature similar to adult female, often with a less-distinct chin patch

Adult male:

• Greenish-black head and upper neck

• White breast, flanks and belly

• Black back and upperwing coverts with white scapulars

• White secondary coverts crossed with indistinct dark bar

• Alternate plumage worn from fall through early summer

• Male in basic eclipse plumage similar to adult female

Adult female:

• Red-brown head meets pale breast in crisp line of division

• Well-defined white chin

• White breast and belly

• Pale gray body plumage

Similar species:

Adult male in alternate plumage is somewhat similar to male red-breasted
merganser but has white breast and flanks, and a less obvious crest. Female,
immature and eclipse male distinguished from similarly-plumaged red-
breasted mergansers by sharply-defined chin, reddish head contrasting
with white breast, paler gray plumage, sleeker crest and larger bill. In
winter, common mergansers, unlike red-breasted mergansers, are general-
ly found in freshwater habitats.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status:N/A
Breeding Habitat:Wetland-open water
Nest Location:N/A
Nest Type:Cavity
Clutch Size:6-17
Length of Incubation: 28-35 days
Days to Fledge:65-85
Number of Broods:1
Diet: Mostly fish; lesser quantities of aquatic invertebrates

 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May
      Su - Summer: June, July, August
      Fall: September, October, November Acc

      Winter: December, January, February

 

 

Back to Inventory of Bird Families and Species