Red-breasted Merganser

Breeding Male Red-breasted Mergansers are certainly noticeable ducks. Their black, glossy green, ragged, and spiky crests, dark red eyes, and long, serrated orange bills certainly make them stand out among other ducks.

They also have a white neck collar, mottled reddish-brown breast, black and white back, and gray flanks. 

Females and non-breeding males have reddish-brown spiky crests, red eyes, long, red bills, white throats, and gray bodies. 

• Mergus serrator
• Length: 16 – 26 in (41 – 66 cm)
• Weight: 47.61 oz (1349 g)
• Wingspan: 31 – 35 in (79 – 89 cm)

Range

Red-breasted Mergansers breed in Canada, except in the southwest, before migrating to the coasts of the US and Canada. They can be spotted during migration in southwestern Canada and all US states.

Habitat And Diet

You can find Red-breasted Mergansers in tundra ponds, freshwater lakes and rivers, and brackish and saltwater wetlands, usually near the coast during the breeding season. In winter, they may also be found in the ocean.

Red-breasted mergansers normally dive when foraging for food and will pursue their prey underwater until they catch them. They will occasionally cooperate with other groups and herd schools of fish into shallow waters to make them easier to catch.

Aside from fish, they also eat crustaceans, insects, and amphibians.

Red-breasted Merganser Calls:

They are quiet birds, but they make calls during courtship or when alarmed.

Nests

Nests of Red-breasted Mergansers are often found on the ground, in a shallow depression, near the water. Females usually line them with plants and down feathers. Females lay five to sixteen eggs but may lay them in other females’ nests.

The incubation period may run from twenty-nine to thirty-five days and is mostly done by the female. 

Fun Fact:

Red-breasted Mergansers don’t acquire their breeding feathers until they are two years old.