# Red-breasted Merganser (*Mergus serrator*) The Red-breasted Merganser is a beautiful duck with a striking red chest and a long, slender body. They love to dive underwater to catch fish and can be seen swimming in lakes and rivers. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Red-breasted Merganser](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Merganser_%2853630992394%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Channel City Camera Club from Santa Barbara, US, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merganser_%2853630992394%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Red-breasted Merganser has a shaggy crest and a long, thin, reddish bill with a hooked tip. Males display a dark green head, a rusty-red chest band, and striking black and white body feathers. Females are more muted with a reddish-brown head and a less distinct crest. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Mergus ## Interesting facts - Baby mergansers can dive and find their own food just a few days after hatching! - These ducks need a running start on the water to take off into flight, like an airplane! - They can stay underwater for nearly a full minute while hunting for fishy snacks! - Unlike most ducks, mergansers keep their wild, spiky hairdo even when diving! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Vision:** Red-breasted Mergansers have special clear eyelids that act like goggles, helping them see perfectly while diving underwater. - **Fish Gripper Bill:** Red-breasted Mergansers have a long, slender bill with saw-like edges that help them grip onto slippery fish in the water. - **Deep Diver:** Red-breasted Mergansers have powerful webbed feet and a streamlined body that helps them chase and catch fast fish deep underwater. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 51-62 cm - **Wingspan:** 70-86 cm - **Weight:** 0.7-1.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 90 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 7-12 - **Incubation:** 29-32 days - **Migration Distance:** 2500 km ## Diet & Feeding These speedy swimmers mostly gobble up small fish, but also enjoy a few other aquatic critters! - **Age differences:** Young mergansers start with small aquatic insects before moving to larger fish. - **Primary Foods:** herring, smelt, sticklebacks, sculpins, crustaceans, aquatic insects - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Herring Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/herring-gull) (*Larus argentatus*) — Preys on merganser eggs and young chicks. - **Hunts:** [Northern Pike](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-pike) (*Esox lucius*) — Large pike may prey on merganser ducklings. - **Hunts:** [Atlantic Salmon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-salmon) (*Salmo salar*) — Mergansers eat juvenile salmon, especially in river systems. - **Hunts:** [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) — They frequently prey on smaller trout in freshwater. ## 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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [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. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [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 Red-breasted 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 Red-breasted Merganser? 51-62 cm ### What is Red-breasted Merganser's wingspan? 70-86 cm ### How much does Red-breasted Merganser weigh? 0.7-1.4 kg ### How long does Red-breasted Merganser live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Red-breasted Merganser move? 90 km/h ### What does Red-breasted Merganser eat? These speedy swimmers mostly gobble up small fish, but also enjoy a few other aquatic critters! ### Where is Red-breasted Merganser usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Cleveland Cultural Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cleveland-cultural-gardens) — Ohio, US · Park - [Devil's Kitchen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/devils-kitchen) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [Harkness Memorial State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harkness-memorial-state-park) — Connecticut, US · Botanical Garden - [Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mitchell-park-horticultural-conservatory) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Old Lyme Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-lyme-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monterey-bay-aquarium-california) — California, US · Aquarium [View all places to see Red-breasted Merganser](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-breasted-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: [Red-breasted Merganser: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-breasted-merganser)