In North America, they breed across Canada south to Pennsylvania in the east, and northern California in the west. The genus name is a Latin word used by Pliny and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified waterbird, and merganser is derived from mergus and anser, Latin for "goose". The Common Merganser, (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. Common Merganser Diet. Common Mergansers are primarily fish-eating ducks. Common Mergansers lay 6 to 17 eggs which hatch in 28 to 35 days. These ducks are quite interesting creatures, with many unique traits and adaptations. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Though they are ducks, they are wild animals and do not enjoy human interaction. ( Log Out /  This entry was posted on July 19, 2012 by Mary Holland. Free. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Animals.NET aim to promote interest in nature and animals among children, as well as raise their awareness in conservation and environmental protection. They feed mainly on fish but also hunt a wide range of other aquatic prey, such as mollusks, crustaceans, worms, insect larvae, and amphibians. Click here to order my children's book THE BEAVERS' BUSY YEAR. Change ). Migration patterns vary by species. No, these birds do not make good pets. Common Mergansers mostly eat fish, but they also eat aquatic invertebrates (including insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and worms), frogs, small mammals, birds, and plants. The Common Merganser is a fish-eating duck that rides low in the water on freshwater lakes and rivers. Average length: M 25.5", F 22.9 . This is because they need mature trees with cavities to nest in. These four species are the “typical” Mergansers. These ducks breed with one partner per season, but a new partner each year. Young mergansers require over half a pound of food per day during their first summer, and often supplement their fish diet with insects, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, frogs, small mammals, birds and plants. The males perform courtship dances and calls to attract a mate. Also, if actually eaten, does the unlucky prey get swallowed kicking all the way as well?! Most duck hunters pass up common mergansers because their fish diet causes them to taste, Crenshaw says generously, “a little tangy.” Common merganser couples pair up during the winter and early spring. It seems like it would have trouble fitting down that long/skinny neck. Select. Click to order my first book, a photographic guide for children entitled Milkweed Visitors. Brazilians only live in Brazil. Common mergansers nest in tree cavities, nest boxes, cliff crevices, and on the ground, generally near clear-water rivers in forested regions and on mountainous terrain. Most live in large, aviary-style enclosures with a variety of different trees, shrubs, water features, and other bird species. The various Merganser species have different plumage, or feathers, but similar body and bill shapes. Daytime. The pictured immature Common Merganser had just downed a crayfish when it spotted a frog which it succeeded in catching and eventually swallowing. Most Mergansers are primarily piscivores, or fish-eaters. Some of the different habitats that they occupy include wetlands, swamps, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, bays, estuaries, and more. Click on image to order from the publisher. Common Mergansers lay 6 to 17 eggs which hatch in 28 to 35 days. They range extends across Europe, North Asia and North America. You have many different domestic duck breeds to choose from instead. All photos used are royalty-free, and credits are included in the Alt tag of each image. here are four different species of these ducks, the Common, Brazilian, Red-breasted, and Scaly-sided Merganser. Most of these birds are about two feet long, though each species varies in size. Commons even nest close to one another, even though they do not interact socially during the breeding season. Their bodies are long, and they have long, narrow bills with a hook at the tip. Unlock thousands of full-length species accounts and hundreds of bird family … Different species have different ranges and distributions. The diet of Common Mergansers includes fish, insects and aquatic plants. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. Learn more about them below. Humans have not domesticated Mergansers in any way. Humans usually do not hunt these particular ducks, which can actually be beneficial to fish populations by weeding out the weakest individuals. Some Mergansers live or migrate across an incredibly wide range while others only occupy a few isolated regions. It takes 2 months for the young to learn how to fly, and once they fledge they become fully independent. Bird Houses 101 - Everything You Need to Know About Birdhouses, for North American Birds. The Merganser is actually a small group of ducks that researchers place in the taxonomic genus Mergus. The IUCN lists the Common as Least Concern, the Red-breasted as Least Concern, the Scaly-sided as Endangered, and the Brazilian as Critically Endangered.

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