Red-breasted merganser
Mergus serrator
CommonPhoto: Channel City Camera Club from Santa Barbara, US · CC BY 2.0
Birdcarnivore
The red-breasted merganser is a sleek diving duck found across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Males sport a striking rusty chest during breeding season. These speedy fliers chase fish underwater, gripping them with tooth-edged bills that work like serrated knives.
- Males develop a rusty-red chest only during breeding season.
- Their saw-edged bills help them catch slippery fish underwater.
- They migrate between freshwater breeding grounds and coastal wintering areas.
FreshwaterWetlandOceanNorth AmericaEuropeAsia
Read more on WikipediaAt a glance
- Classification
- Bird
- Scientific name
- Mergus serrator
- Habitat
- Freshwater, Wetland, Ocean
- Regions in this directory
- North America, Europe, Asia
- Diet
- carnivore
- Relative size
- medium
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (LC)
