Find out more about nest boxes on our Attract Birds pages. Timing and Routes of Migration. In addition to fish, they take a wide range of other aquatic prey, such as molluscs, crustaceans, worms, insect larvae, and amphibians; more rarely, small mammals and birds may be taken. Males chase each other during communal courtship displays, sometimes bumping or striking each other. Dispersal and Site Fidelity. Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, J. E. Fallon, K. L. Pardieck, Jr. Ziolkowski, D. J. and W. A. Consider putting up a nest box to attract a breeding pair. Pearce, John, Mark L. Mallory and Karen Metz. They readily nest in boxes, including those designed for the much smaller Common Goldeneye. Common Mergansers nest less frequently in rock crevices, old sheds, chimneys, lighthouses, holes in banks, holes in the ground, hollow logs, and burrows. They may form flocks of up to 75 individuals. The female lays 6-17 (most often 8-12) white to yellowish eggs and raises one brood in a season. The Common Merganser eats primarily small fish, but will also eat insects, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, frogs, small mammals, birds, and plants (Mallory and Metz 1999). Common Mergansers spend much of their time afloat, loafing, fishing, and often sleeping on open water. They are most commonly found on Lake Erie, and in the dead of winter are the most likely merganser to be seen on the lake. Below are some tips to help you identify Common Mergansers. The Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) ... Habitat requirements for nesting and foraging determine the overall range of the Common Mergansers. The males have greenish, black heads, white bodies and black backs in breeding plumage. The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. Interestingly, it apparently once nested in the state because 6 sets of eggs … More rarely, they will take small mammals and birds. The … (2014). Common Merganser on The IUCN Red List site -, badelynge, brace, bunch, flock, paddling, raft, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_merganser, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22680492/132054083. North American Bird Conservation Initiative. Movements and Migration. These birds are partial migrants; they leave areas where rivers and major lakes freeze in the winter but are resident where waters remain open. The ducklings are born precocial and are taken by their mother in her bill to rivers or lakes immediately after hatching; there they feed on freshwater invertebrates and small fish fry. Common mergansers are found in Europe, northern and central Palearctic and North America. Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), version 2.0. ... Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), version 1.0. It is an uncommon to rare migrant and winter resident across the state found on deeper lakes and rivers. Being at the top of the aquatic food chain, this species is particularly susceptible to such effects, and people sometimes use Common Mergansers as an indicator of environmental health. They feed mainly on fish but also hunt a wide range of other aquatic prey, such as mollusks, crustaceans, worms, insect larvae, and amphibians. Common Merganser Life History Habitat. (2015). They are rare in the ocean, but they sometimes use saltwater estuaries in winter. The European population consists of 66,800-103,000 pairs, which equates to 134,000-206,000 mature individuals. The Common Merganser can be a salt-water or a fresh-water visitor. When fishing, Common mergansers usually dive for 30 seconds or less, however, they are able to stay underwater for up to 2 minutes! They are very rare visitors to South Carolina’s coast in the winter months. Some of the different habitats that they occupy include wetlands, swamps, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, bays, estuaries, and more. A. and A. S. Love. Common mergansers have an average length of 25 1/2 inches and an average weight of 2 1/2 pounds. They find their prey by sight, often probing sediments and underwater stones with their slender bills, which have sharp serrations for grasping slippery prey. Common mergansers are carnivores (piscivores). Juveniles (both sexes) are similar to adult females but also show a short black-edged white stripe between the eye and bill. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA. Common Mergansers are found throughout most of North America, during the breeding season they can be found in northern forested habitats that include lakes, ponds and rivers. Females sometimes lay their eggs in other ducks’ nests, including other Common Mergansers as well as Hooded Mergansers or Common Goldeneyes. The British call this bird the "Goosander." Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. In larger streams and rivers, Common mergansers float down with the stream for a few miles, and either fly back again or more commonly fish their way back, diving incessantly the whole way. They forage in clear aquatic habitats such as streams, rivers, lakes, coastal bays, and estuaries. Long, thin bill is bright red. The Common merganser lacks a distinct crest and has all white under-parts. During the summer they inhabit lakes, rivers, reservoirs, brackish waters and marshes. After laying eggs she lines the nest with downy feathers plucked from her own breast. The common merganser, being a species of forest and water habitats, relies on the health of both. Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl(Order: Anseriformes, Family:Anatidae).
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