Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

A large diving duck with a long thin bill, the Red-breasted Merganser is found in large lakes, rivers and the ocean. It prefers salt water more than the other two species of merganser.

Cool Facts		Photo taken from: The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America by David Allen Sibley
The Red-breasted Merganser breeds farther north and winters farther south than the other American mergansers. The Red-breasted Merganser was first described in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist. It prefers salt water more than the other two species of merganser. A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.
Description
Adult Description Large, thin diving duck. Long, thin, orange to red-orange bill. Shaggy crest on back of head. White patches in wing visible in flight. Male with gray sides, dark reddish chest, white neck, and iridescent green head. Male Description Breeding (Alternate) Plumage: Head iridescent greenish black. Neck white. Chest deep rusty speckled with black. Back dark with long white patch along wings. Tail gray. Outer part of wings black. Bill scarlet-orange. Eyes red. Nonbreeding (Basic) Plumage: Head rusty brown with long, ragged double crest. Chin pale or gray. Breast, back, wings and tail slaty gray. Belly and flanks white. Bill scarlet-orange. White patch in wing visible in flight. Like female, except has less white on chin, darker back, and wing with larger white patch.	Female Description Head rusty brown with long, ragged, double crest. Chin dark or pale, gradually merging with chest color. Breast, back, wings and tail slaty gray. Belly and flanks white. Bill scarlet-orange. White patch in wing visible in flight. Immature Description Immature resembles adult female.

Range Map

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Subfamily:	Anatinae
Genus:	Mergus
Species:	Mergus serrator

Sound

Silent except in courtship when male makes a cat-like "yeow, yeow." Female makes a harsh "gruk."

Identification and Information

See Anatomy of a Bird

Body

Length Range: 41-66 cm (16-26 in)
Weight: 1134 g (40 oz)
Size: Large (16 - 32 in)
Color Primary: Gray, Sheen or Iridescence
Underparts: White
Upperparts: Black
Back Pattern: Solid
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Striped or streaked

Head

Bill Shape: Hooked Seabird
Eye Color: Deep red.
Head Pattern: Plain
Crown Color: Black with green gloss.
Forehead Color: Black with green gloss.
Nape Color: Black with green gloss.
Throat Color: Black with green gloss and white.
Cere color: No Data

Flight

Flight Pattern: Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Wingspan Range: 79-89 cm (31-35 in)
Wing Shape: Long-Wings, Tapered-Wings
Tail Shape: Squared Tail
Tail Pattern: Solid
Upper Tail: Black
Under Tail: Black
Leg Color: Red

Breeding

Breeding Location: Seashore, rocky or sandy, Open landscapes, Marshes, freshwater, Swamps
Breeding Type: Monogamous
Breeding Population: Widespread
Egg Color: Olive buff or green buff
Number of Eggs: 5 - 16
Incubation Days: 29 - 35
Egg Incubator: Female
Nest Material: Lined with down.
Migration: Migratory
Condition at Hatching: Covered with down, eyes open. Leave nest within one or two days after hatching.

Other Names

Similar Species

Harle huppé (French)
Mergo copetón (Spanish)

Common Merganser male has sleek crest, white chest and sides, and dark eyes. Female is cleaner looking, with brighter brown head that fades abruptly into whitish breast, has a distinct white chin, and has a shorter crest.
Winter loons can look similar, but generally have thicker bills, more white in face, and lack shaggy crest.

Conservation Status

Habitat

Sources used to Construct this Page:

Wooded lakes and tundra ponds; found mainly on saltwater during winter.

Titman, R. D. 1999. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator). In The Birds of North America, No. 443 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.