# Common Merganser (*Mergus merganser*) The Common Merganser is a beautiful duck with a long, slender body and a sharp beak. They love to swim and dive underwater to catch fish, making them great hunters in the water! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 61 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Goosander ![Common Merganser](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Female_Mergus_merganser_americanus_at_Las_Gallinas_Wildlife_Ponds.jpg&width=800) Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Female_Mergus_merganser_americanus_at_Las_Gallinas_Wildlife_Ponds.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Merganser has a sleek body and a distinctive thin, serrated red bill. Males boast an iridescent green head, white body, and black back. Females have a shaggy rusty-red head and a gray body. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Mergus ## Interesting facts - A large group of mergansers is called a 'raft' or even a 'flotilla'. - Baby mergansers often jump from tree nests up to 40 feet high! - These ducks must 'run' across water to get airborne for flight! - They can stay underwater for over a minute, diving deep to hunt fish. ## Special abilities - **Underwater Hunter:** Common Mergansers can dive deep and chase fish because their bodies are built for fast underwater swimming. - **Fish Grip Bill:** Common Mergansers have a serrated, hook-tipped bill that helps them firmly grasp slippery fish underwater. - **Waterproof Coat:** Common Mergansers have waterproof feathers, keeping them warm and dry while diving in cold water. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 58-72 cm - **Wingspan:** 82-97 cm - **Weight:** 0.9-2.1 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-13 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 6-17 - **Incubation:** 28-35 days - **Migration Distance:** 2500 km ## Diet & Feeding These ducks are expert underwater hunters, mainly eating fish and aquatic creatures. - **Age differences:** Young ducklings eat more aquatic insects, transitioning to mostly fish as they mature. - **Primary Foods:** Small fish, Trout, Minnows, Crayfish, Aquatic insects - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) — Mergansers hunt and eat smaller trout in rivers and lakes. - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Bald eagles are powerful predators of adult mergansers. - **Eaten by:** [North American River Otter](https://www.snappit.app/explore/north-american-river-otter) (*Lutra canadensis*) — River otters may prey on mergansers or their eggs opportunistically. - **Eats:** Aquatic Insects (*Insecta (various)*) — Ducklings and sometimes adults eat aquatic insects in their habitat. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Merganser? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Merganser? 58-72 cm ### What is Common Merganser's wingspan? 82-97 cm ### How much does Common Merganser weigh? 0.9-2.1 kg ### How long does Common Merganser live? 5-13 years ### How fast can Common Merganser move? 80 km/h ### What does Common Merganser eat? These ducks are expert underwater hunters, mainly eating fish and aquatic creatures. ### Where is Common Merganser usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Carriage Paths, Bridges and Gatehouses](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carriage-paths-bridges-and-gatehouses) — Maine, US · Historic District - [City Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/city-park) — Colorado, US · Park - [Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cougar-mountain-regional-wildland-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/delaware-division-of-the-pennsylvania-canal) — Pennsylvania, US · Historic Site - [Downtown Ossining Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/downtown-ossining-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Duke Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/duke-gardens) — New Jersey, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Common Merganser](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-merganser) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Merganser: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-merganser)