A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Mergus serrator
Is a diving duck. It has a spiky crest and long thin red bill with serrated edges. The male has a dark head with a green sheen, a white neck with a rusty breast, a black back, and white underparts. Adult females have a rusty head and a greyish body. The juvenile is like the female, but lacks the white collar and has a smaller white wing patch.
Its breeding habitat is freshwater lakes and rivers across northern North America, Greenland, Europe, and Asia. It nests in sheltered locations on the ground near water. It is migratory and many northern breeders winter in coastal waters further south. This one was in Het Zwin (vogelreservaat)
3 Comments
Thanks! I have seen mergansers swimming in the sea in the winter along with the eiders. Amazing how they like the cold!
Grandioso!!!
Fantastic pictures ;)