Wildlifeof Nepal
Red-breasted Merganser
Ducks, Geese & Grebes
Photo: (c) Thomas Galewski, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Mergus serrator
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly small fish; also aquatic insects, worms, crustaceans and amphibians
Habitat
Breeds on freshwater lakes and rivers; winters mostly coastal
Incubation period
28–35 days
Size
51–64cm
Wingspan
66–74cm
Weight
Males 950–1,350g; females 800–1,100g
The red-breasted merganser is a duck of the temperate to subarctic Northern Hemisphere, 51 to 64cm long with a wingspan of 66 to 74cm. The male has a dark head with a green sheen, a white neck with a rusty breast, a black back and white underparts, while the female has a rusty head and a greyish-brown body. It has a spiky crest and a long, thin red bill with serrated edges for catching slippery fish (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds on freshwater lakes and rivers across northern North America, Greenland, Europe and the Palearctic, and migrates to mostly coastal wintering areas, making it the member of its genus that most often uses salt water. It feeds mainly on small fish, diving from the surface. Incubation takes 28 to 35 days. The sources opened say nothing of Nepal.
Quick answers
- What does the Red-breasted Merganser eat?
- Mainly small fish; also aquatic insects, worms, crustaceans and amphibians
- What habitat does the Red-breasted Merganser live in?
- Breeds on freshwater lakes and rivers; winters mostly coastal
- How long are the eggs of the Red-breasted Merganser incubated?
- 28–35 days
- How big is the Red-breasted Merganser?
- 51–64cm
- What is the wingspan of the Red-breasted Merganser?
- 66–74cm
- How much does the Red-breasted Merganser weigh?
- Males 950–1,350g; females 800–1,100g