ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Red-breasted Merganser

 Red-breasted Merganser

red-breasted merganser

Lake Erie is an extremely important staging area for this species, with huge numbers congregating in November and early December. Some observers have estimated as many as 250,000 red-breasted mergansers being seen from one spot in a day - a huge percentage of the overall population. They are not often heard here, but they utter low guttural croaks and higher-pitched cackling sounds.
 

Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator

At-a-Glance

• Incubation: 29-35 days

• Clutch Size: 7-12 eggs

• Young Fledge: 59 days after hatching

• Typical foods: fish

Description
The red-breasted merganser is smaller than the mallard. Both sexes have a crest on the back of the head. Males have a red breast and the female looks like the hooded merganser female without a white throat.

Habitat and Habits
Mergansers can be found in wooded lakes and ponds. During the winter it prefers salt water habitats.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Breeding takes place in Alaska and northern Canada. Nests are depressions in the ground concealed by a bush or brush pile. They are usually near tundra ponds.