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Bird name:

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Order

ANSERIFORMES

Family

Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Code 4

RBME

Code 6

MERSER

ITIS

175187

Breeding Location:

Seashore, rocky or sandy, Open landscapes, Marshes, freshwater, Swamps



Breeding Type:

Monogamous



Breeding Population:

Widespread



Egg Color:

Olive buff or green buff



Number of Eggs:

5 - 16



Incubation Days:

29 - 35



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Lined with down.



Migration:

Migratory



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General

Red-breasted Merganser: Medium-sized diving duck with black upperparts, gray sides, rust-brown breast, and white belly. Head, double crests, and neck are green; neck ring is white. Bill is long, thin, and bright orange. Females are gray overall with gray-washed, red-brown head, double crest, and white breast and belly.

Range and Habitat

Red-breasted Merganser: Breeds in Alaska and across northern Canada to Newfoundland and south to the Great Lakes. Spends winters chiefly along the coasts from Alaska south to California, from Maritime Provinces south to Florida, and along the Gulf Coast. Preferred habitat for breeding includes wooded lakes and tundra ponds; found mainly on saltwater during winter.

Breeding and Nesting

Red-breasted Merganser: Five to sixteen olive buff or green buff eggs are laid in a down-lined depression concealed under a bush or in a brush pile. Incubation ranges from 29 to 35 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Red-breasted Merganser: Eats mostly fish; forages by diving from the surface to pursue prey underwater; groups often hunt cooperatively, herding fish into shallow water where they are easier to catch.

Vocalization

Red-breasted Merganser: Utters croaks and grunts during courtship.

Similar Species

Red-breasted Merganser: Common Merganser lacks distinct crest and has white underparts. Female has a clean-cut line between its rust-brown neck and white breast.

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UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CrestX
Tufts of feathers on the head of the bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX