Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) — Ducks, Geese & Swans of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) is a member of the Anatidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 1 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Anseriformes
- Family Anatidae Ducks, Geese, Swans
- Genus Mergus
- Species serrator
Where it lives
Southern Greenland, Iceland, northern British Isles, Scandinavia to Sakhalin and Kamchatka pens., and Kuril and Commander is. (southeastern Russia), south through northern Kazakhstan and northeastern China; western Alaska mainland through mainland Canada from Arctic to northern Great Lakes and east to Nova Scotia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Anatidae
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-breasted Merganser hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Red-breasted Merganser is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) is a species of ducks, geese, swans in the family Anatidae, order Anseriformes. It is found in North America, Europe & Northern Asia — s Greenland, Iceland, n British Isles, Scandinavia to Sakhalin and Kamchatka pens., and Kuril and Commander is. (se Russia), s through n Kazakhstan and ne China; w Alaska mainland through mainland Canada from Arctic to n Great Lakes and e to Nova Scotia.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-breasted Merganser?
The Red-breasted Merganser is a very large bird that weighs around 1 kg.
Where does the Red-breasted Merganser live?
The Red-breasted Merganser is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL s Greenland, Iceland, n British Isles, Scandinavia to Sakhalin and Kamchatka pens., and Kuril and Commander is. (se Russia), s through n Kazakhstan and ne China; w Alaska mainland through mainland Canada from Arctic to n Great Lakes and e to Nova Scotia, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Red-breasted Merganser belong to?
The Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) belongs to the Anatidae family, in the order Anseriformes.
What does the Red-breasted Merganser eat?
The Red-breasted Merganser hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Red-breasted Merganser migrate?
The Red-breasted Merganser is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Red-breasted Merganser endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red-breasted Merganser make?
1 real field recording of the Red-breasted Merganser — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-breasted Merganser's range?
The Red-breasted Merganser has a mapped global range of about 23.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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