Common Merganser

Mergus merganser Linnaeus, 1758

58–72 cmLength93 cmWingspan1.5 kgWeight

The male has a white body, black-green head and red serrated bill, and dives to catch fish.

Busiest months: March–April · Most records: United States, Canada, United Kingdom

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Male has a white body with a salmon-pink wash
Male in breeding plumage has a black head with a green metallic gloss
Male in breeding plumage has a gray rump and tail; inner wing mostly white, outer wing black
Bill, legs and feet red to rufous

Male, female and young

Female and male in the non-breeding season mostly gray, with a rufous head and white chin; juvenile resembles female, with an additional short white stripe between the eye and bill.

Voice

Usually low and grating; male and juvenile give plaintive, soft whistles in the breeding season.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March–April · Most records: United States, Canada, United Kingdom

Common Merganser has been recorded at 2,011 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 67 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Calgary – Carburn ParkCanada11,545 records
Calgary – Inglewood Bird SanctuaryCanada11,488 records
Stewart ParkUnited States8,989 records

More places

Tommy Thompson ParkCanada8,660 records
Union Bay Natural Area/Montlake FillUnited States7,666 records
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States6,860 records
Tawas Point SPUnited States6,446 records
Myers PointUnited States6,192 records
Réservoir BeaudetCanada5,827 records
Salmon Arm BayCanada5,683 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada United Kingdom China Poland Finland Switzerland Sweden

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The common merganser or goosander (Mergus merganser) 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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Common Merganser?

The Common Merganser is about 58–72 cm long, with a wingspan of 93 cm and weighs around 1.5 kg.

Where does the Common Merganser live?

Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: Iceland, northern, central Europe, subarctic Russia through northeastern Kazakhstan and northeastern Afghanistan through Tibet and western China, northern Mongolia to Kamchatka, Hokkaido (northern Japan) and northeastern China; southwestern Alaska mainland through subarctic Canada to Newfoundland, south through western USA and to northern Great Lakes. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and United Kingdom.

When is the best time to see the Common Merganser?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March and April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Common Merganser endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Common Merganser as Least Concern.

What does the Common Merganser eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Common Merganser in?

It belongs to the family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae), order Anseriformes.

At a glance

Length: 58–72 cm
Wingspan: 93 cm
Weight: 1.5 kg
Habitat: Rivers & streams
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 271 mm
Tail: 107 mm
Bill: 69 mm
Tarsus: 51 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Palearctic: Iceland, northern, central Europe, subarctic Russia through northeastern Kazakhstan and northeastern Afghanistan through Tibet and western China, northern Mongolia to Kamchatka, Hokkaido (northern Japan) and northeastern China; southwestern Alaska mainland through subarctic Canada to Newfoundland, south through western USA and to northern Great Lakes

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2

Mergus merganser merganser Iceland, n, c Europe, subarctic Russia through ne Kazakhstan and n Mongolia to Kamchatka, Hokkaido (n Japan) and ne China | non-breeding: s Eurasia
Mergus merganser orientalis ne Afghanistan through Tibet and w China | non-breeding: Himalayas to se China