Common Merganser

Common Merganser

Common Merganser: Large, sleek diving duck with black upperparts and white underparts. Head and upper neck are green-black with head crest usually not visible. Long, thin bill is bright red. Wings are black with extensive white patches. Feeds on fish, mollusks, crustaceans, insects and plants.

● Song: "croack"

● Foraging & Feeding: Common Merganser: Feeds on insects, small fish, and aquatic plants. Forages by diving from the surface and chasing down prey underwater; hooked upper mandible with serrations are designed to catch slippery fish.

● Breeding & nesting: Common Merganser: Six to seventeen light buff or yellow eggs are laid in a down-lined hollow on the ground or in a tree cavity. Incubation ranges from 28 to 35 days and is carried out by the female; young begin to fly at 65 to 70 days.

● Similar species: Common Merganser: Red-breasted Merganser has streaked or spotted breast, gray sides, and distinct crest.

Flight Pattern