HUNTING HORIZONS - Worldwide Hunting Seasons Database

The Common Merganser [Mergus merganser], also goosander, is a large diving duck of the lakes and rivers of forested areas of Europe, North Asia and North America. North American birds migrate south in small groups to the United States wherever ice free conditions exist on ponds, lakes and rivers; on the west coast, some birds are permanent residents. Scandinavian and Russian birds also migrate southwards, but western European birds are largely resident. Icelandic and Alpine birds do not appear to migrate at all whilst British birds move to more sheltered locations during the winter.


LENGTH: 46-70 cm
WEIGHT: 1540-1670 g
WINGSPAN: 78-94 cm


The Common Merganser has no crest.


MALE: Greenish-black head and upper neck, red bill, white breast, flanks and belly, black back and upper wing coverts with white scapulars, white secondary coverts crossed with indistinct dark bar.


Male in basic eclipse plumage similar to adult female.