Common Merganser -- South Dakota Birds

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

A common migrant, and common winter resident along larger river systems.  An expert diving fish-eater. 

Habitat: Larger lakes and rivers.

Diet: Mostly fish.  Also crustaceans, amphibians, aquatic insects, and occasionally aquatic plants. 

Nesting: Early Spring (rare breeder in South Dakota)

Breeding: Breeding Bird Survey Map

Song: Common Merganser Call

Migrations: Summers in Canada and extreme northern U.S., winters throughout much of the United States interior and coastlines.

Similar Species: Red-Breasted Merganser

Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Common Merganser

2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Common Merganser"

3) E-nature.com: Common Merganser

Photo Information: March 20th, 2005 -- Wall Lake in western Minnehaha County -- Terry Sohl

Additional Photos: Click here for additional higher-resolution photos of this species.

Return to Species Page

Return to Main Page

Proud Member Of:

Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl

This page was last edited on 02/03/08