Common Merganser

A slender duck with a pinkish bill.

Scientific name	Mergus merganser
English name	Common Merganser
Japanese name	川秋沙
Class	Aves
Order	Anseriformes
Family	Anatidae
Genus	Mergus
Species	merganser
Full length	60-70cm
Distribution	Breeds in Eurasia and North America, and migrates to Japan in winter.

Common Merganser Characteristics and Morphology

A duck characterized by its slender silhouette. Males and females have different colors.
Swims with its neck bent in an S-shape. The bill is reddish-pink and hooked at the tip. The chest is white. The legs are orange.
Compared to the similar Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator), the demarcation between the head and neck is clearer. Also, the bill color is more reddish in the Common Merganser. The crest on the head is also less developed than in the Red-breasted Merganser.

Male

The body length is slightly less than 70cm, larger than the female.
The top of the head to the nape is dark green, and the front of the face to the chest is black. There is a clear boundary between white and black on the neck. The body, except for the wings, is white. Black and gray feathers grow from around the shoulders to the wings.

Female

Smaller than the male, about 60cm.
The head is brown. The color of the bill is more subdued compared to the male. Gray feathers grow from the wings to the flanks.

Song

Common Merganser Ecology

Habitat

Migrates to lakes, rivers, and coastal areas in winter to overwinter.

Food

Dives into the water and preys on fish.

Life Cycle

Breeds from early summer, with the female raising the young.

Common Merganser Photos

Common Merganser Photos are introduced.
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Common Merganser Behavior

Forms and acts in small flocks of several birds.

Common Merganser Information

Naming

The scientific name "merganser" is a combination of "mergus" (diving) and "anser" (goose), meaning "diving goose."

Common Merganser Found Locations

Lake Suwa Kamaguchi Sluice Gate

I photographed an individual swimming towards the Kamaguchi Sluice Gate. The male was moving while repeating diving and surfacing. Compared to the Red-breasted Merganser, the flock was smaller, and the area from the neck down appeared whiter. I was also able to see individuals relaxing on the concrete under the sluice gate.

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