Mergus serrator
Scientific name:
Mergus serrator
Family:
Ducks, geese and swansConservation status:
Green
Length:
52cm to 58cm
Wingspan:
70cm to 86cm
Weight:
900g to 1.35kg
The red-breasted merganser is a rather handsome looking diving duck. They are great fishers and have long, serrated beaks which help them with this. These birds are most commonly seen in the UK in the winter, mainly on coastlines. These ducks are sociable birds and will form a flock into the hundreds in the autumn months.
Red-Breasted Mergansers have a particular fondness of salmon and trout, which has brought them into conflict with fisherman.
Their diets consist of fish - mainly salmon and trout.
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