The Common Merganser is a large, streamlined diving duck with a thin, serrated 'saw-bill' for gripping slippery fish. The male is strikingly handsome with a dark green head, white body, and pink tinge to the breast. Females nest in large tree cavities and lead ducklings on remarkable overland hikes to the nearest water after hatching.
Habitat
Clear rivers and large lakes in summer; reservoirs and estuaries in winter
Diet
Fish, primarily salmonids and other fast-swimming species
How common
Common
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