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Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFishRiverineCavity nestLarge · 1.5 kg
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 1
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 2
Photo: Tony Hisgett · CC BY 2.0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 3
Photo: Jaana Siitonen · CC BY 4.0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 4
Photo: Jared Shorma · CC BY 4.0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 5
Photo: Марат Адиев · CC BY 4.0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 6
Photo: Марат Адиев · CC BY 4.0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 7
Photo: Sarah Adamson · CC0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 8
Photo: Therese Phillips · CC BY 4.0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 9
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), photo 10
Photo: BastiS23 · CC0

What the Common Merganser sounds like

Sonogram of the Common Merganser: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Pascal Christe · Song · Lüscherz, Dorf (near Lüscherz), Erlach, Bern, Switzerland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

It is 58–72 cm (23–28+1⁄2 in) long with a 78–97 cm (30+1⁄2–38 in) wingspan and a weight of 0.9–2.1 kg (2 lb 0 oz – 4 lb 10 oz); males are on average slightly larger than females, but with some overlap. Like other species in the genus Mergus, it has a crest of longer head feathers, but these usually lie smoothly rounded behind the head and do not normally form an erect crest.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Common Merganser

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 9 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is March, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Common Merganser

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 67 countries with regular records, and 2 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Canada Sweden Norway United Kingdom Finland Germany France Belgium Switzerland Poland Czechia Austria Japan China Denmark South Korea Russia Netherlands Iceland India Estonia Lithuania Italy Hungary Latvia Mongolia Slovakia Slovenia Ukraine Nepal Bhutan Belarus Ireland Croatia Spain Serbia Mexico Romania Taiwan Greece Kazakhstan Luxembourg Isle of Man Bulgaria Kyrgyzstan Bermuda Moldova North Macedonia Türkiye Bosnia & Herzegovina St. Pierre & Miquelon Myanmar (Burma) Faroe Islands Tajikistan Azerbaijan Iran Uzbekistan Albania North Korea Georgia Liechtenstein Jersey Montenegro Bangladesh Kosovo Afghanistan

Recorded as a rare visitor in Portugal, Pakistan.

About the Common Merganser

The common merganser or goosander is a large sea duck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats mainly fish. It nests in holes in trees. The name "common merganser" is used in North America, while "goosander" is used in Eurasia.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorThe adult red-breasted merganser is 51–64 cm (20–25 in) long, has a wingspan of 66–74 cm (26–29 in). Scaly-sided Merganser (Mergus squamatus) Scaly-sided MerganserMergus squamatusThis striking sea duck has a thin red bill and a scaled dark pattern on the flanks and rump. Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus) Brazilian MerganserMergus octosetaceusThis merganser is a dark, slender duck with a shiny dark-green hood with a long crest, which is usually shorter and more worn-looking in females.

Side by side: Common Merganser vs Red-breasted Merganser

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