
Mergus merganser
HOW TO IDENTIFY:
* Length: 18 inches Wingspan: 37 inches * Large, sleek diving duck * Long, pointed bill with serrated edges * Red bill is thick at base, tapering towards tip * Sleek, tapered crest, more obvious on females than on males * Brown eye * White secondaries * Immature similar to adult female, often with a less-distinct chin patch
Adult male:
* Greenish-black head and upper neck * White breast, flanks and belly * Black back and upperwing coverts with white scapulars * White secondary coverts crossed with indistinct dark bar * Alternate plumage worn from fall through early summer * Male in basic eclipse plumage similar to adult female
Adult female:
* Red-brown head meets pale breast in crisp line of division * Well-defined white chin * White breast and belly * Pale gray body plumage
Similar species:
Adult male in alternate plumage is somewhat similar to male Red-breasted Merganser but has white breast and flanks, and a less obvious crest. Female, immature and eclipse male distinguished from similarly-plumaged Red-breasted Mergansers by sharply-defined chin, reddish head contrasting with white breast, paler gray plumage, sleeker crest and larger bill. In winter, Common Mergansers, unlike Red-breasted Mergansers, are generally found in freshwater habitats.
|