Red-breasted merganser

Mergus serrator

The red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) is a duck species that is native to much of the temperate to subarctic Northern Hemisphere.

Family: Anatidae Order: Anseriformes Conservation: Least Concern

About the Red-breasted merganser

The red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) is a duck species that is native to much of the temperate to subarctic Northern Hemisphere. The red breast that gives the species its common name is only displayed by males in breeding plumage. Individuals fly rapidly, and feed by diving from the surface to pursue aquatic animals underwater, using serrated bills to capture slippery fish. They migrate each year from breeding sites on lakes and rivers to their mostly coastal wintering areas, making them the most frequent species in the genus Mergus to frequent saltwater regularly. The worldwide population of this species is stable, though it is threatened in some areas by habitat loss and other factors.

Fun Facts About Red-breasted merganser

The red breast that gives the species its common name is only displayed by males in breeding plumage.
The worldwide population of this species is stable, though it is threatened in some areas by habitat loss and other factors.
They migrate each year from breeding sites on lakes and rivers to their mostly coastal wintering areas, making them the most frequent species in the genus Mergus to frequent saltwater regularly.
The red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) is a duck species that is native to much of the temperate to subarctic Northern Hemisphere.

Conservation Status

The Red-breasted merganser is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is currently stable and not at significant risk of population decline.

View on IUCN Red List →

Taxonomy & Classification

Order	Anseriformes
Family	Anatidae
Genus	Mergus
Species	Mergus serrator

Range & Habitat