Fauna Flora Photography

Common merganser Mergus merganser

A large duck of rivers and lakes in forested areas. This species eats a wide range of aquatic prey like fishes, molluscs, crustaceans, insect larvae and amphibians. They build their nests in tree cavities hence its preferences for rivers and lakes in forested areas. This species is a partial migrant, leaving areas where rivers and lakes freeze and move to nearby areas.

Specs

Length60-75cm
Weight1-1.7kg
Wingspan90-100cm

Common Names

GermanGänsesäger
EnglishCommon merganser
FrenchHarle bièvre
SpanishSerreta grande

Taxonomy

OrderAnseriformes
FamilyAnatidae
SpeciesMergus merganser

How to Identify

This bird is very similar in appearance to the Red-breasted Merganser. A distinguished characteristic is the separation of head color and breast and neck color. The separation is a well defined line in both male and female.

Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) - Parc des Rapides - 2016-03-19

Where and When to Spot

I observe this species frequently in Rapids Park Lachine.

SpringSummerFallWinter
Parc de la Frayère x - - x
Parc des Rapides x x x x

Where and when a species has been observed, identified, and recorded.

Last updated on 2024-03-14. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.