Birds › Ducks, Geese, and Swans
Common Merganser
Mergus merganser
30 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Easily confused with
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
Common LoonGavia immer
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
BuffleheadBucephala albeola
Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| Virginia | 98,105 |
|---|---|
| United States | 47,941 |
| Arizona | 42,711 |
| Canada | 30,610 |
| Indiana | 29,581 |
| Missouri | 23,718 |
| Texas | 18,725 |
| Iowa | 16,964 |
| Ontario | 11,984 |
| California | 9,793 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Behavioral
- MigratoryTravels long distances seasonallyFrom its classification
Group and habits
- Tree nestingListed by a harvested source as nesting in trees.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Rock nestingListed by a harvested source as nesting on rocks or cliffs.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Ground nestingListed by a harvested source as nesting on the ground.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Cavity nestingListed by a harvested source as nesting in cavities.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Bamboo nestingListed by a harvested source as nesting in bamboo.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Scrape nestingListed by a harvested source as nesting in scrapes.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Fish eaterListed by a harvested source as primarily eating fish.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Brood-parasite hostListed by a harvested source as a host of brood parasites.BIRDBASE avian traits database
Classification
| Kingdom | Animals · Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordates · Chordata |
| Class | Birds · Aves |
| Order | Waterfowl · Anseriformes |
| Family | Ducks, Geese, and Swans · Anatidae |
| Genus | Typical Mergansers · Mergus |
Study it in a deck
- Birds of British Columbia, Canada
- Birds of Centre Wellington, Ontario, Canada
- Birds of Gallatin County, Montana, United States
- Birds of Ontario
- Birds of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
- Birds of Pennsylvania (Alkas)
- Birds of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Birds of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Or build your own from the species near you.
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- Traits: BIRDBASE avian traits database (CC BY 4.0)
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise Common Merganser with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.