The Mergus merganser (scientific name) or common merganser is a duck which is found in the rivers and lakes of forests, in Europe, North and Central Asia and North America. 23-28 inches in length, the merganser (known as Goosander in Eurasia) has beautiful white plumage all over, except the head, neck and shoulder blade area, which are a dark iridescent green-black in colour. The female is mostly grey, but has a reddish-brown head, with a crest, white chin and underparts. The beak and feet are red. The beak is long and narrow unlike other ducks. Fish forms a large part of its diet. They are also known to eat mollusks, insect larvae, amphibians, etc. An average clutch has 6-17 eggs. Its IUCN listing is the LEAST CONCERN.
Merganser
