Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)

Other Names (World)
Red-breasted Merganser, Lesser Toothed Diver

Family
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, Swans)

Size
52 - 58 cm

First Described (Guide)
Linnaeus, 1758

Habitat
Breeds on clear, northern lakes and rivers. In winter mainly on coastal waters.

Range (Guide)

Albania (NB), Armenia (B), Austria (NB), Azerbaijan (NB), Bahamas, Belarus (B) (NB) (P), Belgium (NB), Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria (NB), Canada (B) (P), China (mainland), Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (NB), Cuba, Cyprus (NB), Czech Republic (NB), Denmark (B) (NB) (P), Egypt, Estonia (B) (NB) (P), Faroe Islands (B) (NB), Finland (B) (NB) (P), France (B) (NB) (P), Germany (B) (NB) (P), Greece (B) (NB), Greenland (B) (NB), Hungary (NB), Iceland (B) (NB), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (NB), Iraq, Ireland (B) (NB), Israel, Italy (NB), Japan, Kazakhstan (B), Kyrgyzstan (B) (NB), Latvia (B) (NB), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania (B) (NB) (P), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB), Malta, Mexico, Moldova [Republic of] (NB), Montenegro (NB), Morocco, Netherlands (B) (NB), North Korea, Norway (B) (NB) (P), Pakistan, Poland (B) (NB) (P), Portugal (NB), Romania (NB) (P), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B) (P), Russia (European) (B) (P), Serbia (NB), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (NB), Slovenia (NB), South Korea, Spain (NB), St Pierre and Miquelon (B) (NB), Sweden (B) (NB) (P), Switzerland (B) (NB), Taiwan (China), Tunisia, Turkey (NB), Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine (B) (NB) (P), United Kingdom (B) (NB), USA (B), Uzbekistan.

Vagrant to Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Belize, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Haiti, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mongolia, Nepal, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Puerto Rico, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, Virgin Islands (U.S.).

Most of northern North America, south to Great Lakes; Greenland, Iceland and most of northern Eurasia, south to Britain, north-eastern China and northern Japan.

Population
Estimated population is 510,000 - 610,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Mainly small fish. Also small crustaceans and aquatic insects.

Voice
Mostly silent. Rough croaking or rasping sounds especially in display and at nesting sites.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (77)...)

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) [XC555633]
by Alan Dalton from L\u00f6v\u00f6b\u00e5dan, V\u00e4sterbottens l\u00e4n, Sweden (call, song)

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) [XC529016]
by Lars Edenius from Spring Lake, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States (call, grunt)

Nest
On the ground, well hidden.

Eggs (Guide)
7 - 12; stone or buffish, sometimes with a greenish tinge; ellipsoidal. Incubation: about 29 days; by male.

Subspecies
Greenland population has been assigned separate subspecies, schioleri, but doubtfully valid.

No subspecies.

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) - 10 files

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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