- Mergus serrator
Identification
L. 52-58 cm (20½-22¾ in)
W. 67-82 cm
Long, thin red bill with serrated edges
Adult Male
- Dark head with a green sheen
- White neck with
- Rusty breast
- Black back
- White underparts
Adult Female
- Rusty head
- Greyish body
Juvenile Like the female, but lacks the white collar and has a smaller white wing patch.
Distribution
Northern Palearctic and northern North America; winters southern Palearctic and Mexico
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Freshwater lakes and rivers.
Behaviour
This is a diving duck.
Diet
The diet is mainly small fresh and salt water fish, aquatic crustaceans and invertebrates. Also insects, worms and frogs.
Vocalisation
The call of the female is prak prrak
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avianweb
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Red-breasted Merganser. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 October 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-breasted_Merganser
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
