The Common Mergansers, (Goosander in Europe), Mergus merganser, is a large sized duck, that – along with the Smew and the Hooded Merganser – is also known as “sawbill” – so named because of the serrated edges to their bills to help them grip their slippery prey.
Distribution
They range extends across Europe, North Asia and North America.
Those occurring in North American migrate south in small groups to the United States wherever ice free conditions exist, where they typically settle on ponds, lakes and rivers. Those found on the west coast may remain year-round.
Western European birds are also mostly resident (non-migratory)
Scandinavian and Russian birds also migrate southwards.
Three subspecies are recognized:
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- European Goosander M. m. merganser
- Central Asian Common Merganser M. m. orientalis
- American Common Merganser M. m. americanus
Description:
The Common Merganser measures about 70 cm in length and has a wingspan of 78 – 94 cm.
The male has a dark green head, while the female’s is reddish-brown.
Nesting / Breeding
Common Mergansers typically nest in tree cavities, but may also accept nestboxes.
Relevant Resources
