Common merganser

Male common merganser in flight past bare trees, with a dark green head, red bill, and white body, Manitoba

The common merganser is a large, streamlined fish-eating duck. The drake has a glossy dark green head, a slim red bill, and a clean white body, while the female has a rusty, shaggy crest and a gray body.

Mergansers have serrated bills for gripping slippery fish, and they dive from the surface to chase prey underwater. They nest in tree cavities near clear lakes and rivers, and in Manitoba they are most often seen in spring and fall, especially on open water below dams and rapids.

I love the sleek white and glossy green of a male common merganser, which looks almost sculpted.

To learn more about the common merganser and its habitat, visit its species page at All About Birds.

Field notes in photographs

  • Common mergansers on the water, Manitoba

Common merganser Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the common merganser in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the common merganser nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the common merganser in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Shield, the Taiga Shield, the Hudson Plains, the Southern Arctic, and the Boreal Plains (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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