Red-Breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
- HABITAT - The breeding habitat for the Red-Breasted Merganser is in the tundra and boreal-forest zones. Breeding occurs on fresh, brackish, and saltwater wetlands and in sheltered bays. In winter, they occur mostly on salt water, in coastal bays and estuaries. Some winter on the Great Lakes and their tributaries.
- DIET - The serrated bills of mergansers are adapted for catching small fish such as minnows and sticklebacks. While the young eat mostly aquatic insects, adults primarily eat fish. Crustaceans and other aquatic creatures are also eaten. They forage by diving and swimming under water, sometimes in cooperative flocks, working schools of fish into shallow water.
- FACTS - Red-breasted Mergansers need a running start to get airborne But when they do, they are among the fastest flying ducks, reaching speeds of up to 130 kilometres per hour. Their legs are positioned near their rear making it difficult to walk on land, but are are very helpful for diving.
Red-Breasted Merganser GALLERY
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