Mergus serrator

Mergus serrator (*)

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Pangalloanserae
Cladus: Galloanseres
Ordo: Anseriformes

Familia: Anatidae
Subfamilia: Merginae
Genus: Mergus
Species: Mergus serrator
Name

Mergus serrator Linnaeus, 1758

Type locality: Europe, restricted to Sweden.

References

Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio Decima, Reformata. Tomus I. Holmiæ (Stockholm): impensis direct. Laurentii Salvii. 824 pp. DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.542 BHL p. 129 BHL Reference page.

Vernacular names
aragonés: Mergo meyano
العربية: بلقشة حمراء الصدر
asturianu: Coríu Sierra
azərbaycanca: Uzunburun pazdimdik
башҡортса: Ҡушы
беларуская: Крахаль даўгадзюбы
български: Среден нирец
brezhoneg: Heskenneg kuch
català: Bec de serra mitjà
kaszëbsczi: Mùcnica
čeština: Morčák prostřední
Cymraeg: Hwyaden Frongoch
dansk: Toppet skallesluger
Deutsch: Mittelsäger
Ελληνικά: Θαλασσοβουττηκτής
English: Red-breasted Merganser
Esperanto: Mezgranda merĝo
español: Serreta mediana
eesti: Rohukoskel
euskara: Zerra ertain
فارسی: اردک ماهی‌خوار کاکلی
suomi: Tukkakoskelo
føroyskt: Toppont
français: Harle huppé
Frysk: Bûnte Seachbek
Gaeilge: Gairg
Gàidhlig: Sìolta Dhearg
galego: Bec de serra mitjà
Gaelg: Thunnag Cleeau Yiarg
עברית: מרגון בינוני
hrvatski: Mali ronac
Kreyòl ayisyen: Kanna fal wouj
magyar: Örvös bukó
հայերեն: Բադ սղոցակտուց
íslenska: Toppönd
italiano: Smergo minore
ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ / inuktitut: Paaq
日本語: ウミアイサ
ქართული: გრძელნისკარტა
қазақша: Секпілтєс бейнарық
kalaallisut: Miteq siorartooq
한국어: 바다비오리
lietuvių: Vidutinis dančiasnapis
latviešu: Garknābja gaura
македонски: Среден потопник
монгол: Сэвгэр бохио
Malti: Serra
नेपाली: कुमथोप्ले मणितुण्डक
Nederlands: Middelste zaagbek
norsk nynorsk: Siland
norsk: Siland
oj: ᑲᐊᐧᓯ`
polski: Szlachar
پنجابی: رتی چھاتی آلی مرگانسر
português: Merganso-de-poupa
rumantsch: Marel mesaun
русский: Средний крохаль
саха тыла: Улун
davvisámegiella: Vuoktagoalsi
slovenčina: Potápač prostredný
slovenščina: Srednja žagarica
shqip: Zhytësi i mesëm me callme
српски / srpski: Средњи ронац, Srednji ronac
svenska: Småskrake
Türkçe: Tarakdiş
українська: Крех середній
中文: 红胸秋沙鸭

The red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) is a duck species that is native to much of the Northern Hemisphere. The red breast that gives the species its common name is only displayed by males in breeding plumage. Individuals fly rapidly, and feed by diving from the surface to pursue aquatic animals underwater, using serrated bills to capture slippery fish. They migrate each year from breeding sites on lakes and rivers to their mostly coastal wintering areas, making them the only species in the genus Mergus to frequent saltwater. They form flocks outside of breeding season that are usually small but can reach 100 individuals. The worldwide population of this species is stable, though it is threatened in some areas by habitat loss and other factors.
Taxonomy

The red-breasted merganser was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the current binomial name Mergus serrator.[2][3] The genus name Mergus is a Latin word used by Pliny and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified water bird. The specific epithet serrator is Latin for sawyer and is ultimately from serra, meaning saw. It refers to the saw-like projections on the bird's bill, which enable it to hold on to slippery fish, its most frequent prey.[4] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.[5]
Description

The adult red-breasted merganser is 51–64 cm (20–25 in) long, has a wingspan of 66–74 cm (26–29 in), and weighs 800–1,350 g (28–48 oz).[6]

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 grayish body. Juveniles look similar to females, but lack the white collar and have smaller white wing patches.

The range of the red-breasted merganser broadly overlaps with that of the similar and closely related common merganser. The two species can therefore occur in the same place at the same time, though the species often choose different habitats (only the red-breasted frequents saltwater). Breeding male plumages are fairly distinctive, but other plumages such as those born by females, immatures, and non-breeding males can make the two species hard to distinguish. The common merganser displays more contrast between the darker head and lighter breast and has a light chin patch not seen on the red-breasted.[7]
Voice

During courtship, the female gives a rasping prrak prrak, while the male gives a catlike meow. In flight, the female makes a harsh gruk. At other times this species is largely silent.[8]
Behaviour
Food and feeding

Red-breasted mergansers dive and swim underwater. They mainly eat small fish, but also consume aquatic insects, worms, crustaceans, and amphibians.[9]
Breeding

Its breeding habitat is freshwater lakes and rivers across northern North America, Greenland, Europe, and the Palearctic. It nests in sheltered locations on the ground near water. It is migratory and many northern breeders winter in coastal waters further south. Outside of the breeding season, it forms flocks that can reach 100 individuals, though these flocks are smaller during spring migration than they are in autumn migration and in winter. [10]
Speed record

The fastest duck ever recorded was a red-breasted merganser that attained a top airspeed of 100 mph (160 km/h) while being pursued by an airplane. This eclipsed the previous speed record held by a canvasback clocked at 72 mph (116 km/h).[11]
Conservation

The red-breasted merganser is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The species is also considered a game bird under the Migratory Bird Treaty between the United States and Canada.[12] This means that the species gets some protection, though hunting it is legal in North America in certain seasons and places determined by local hunting regulations. However, few hunters are interested in the species and relatively few birds are harvested.[9]

The species is widespread and common enough to be categorized as least concern by the IUCN, though populations in some areas may be declining. Threats include habitat loss through wetland destruction, exposure to toxins such as pesticides and lead, and becoming bycatch of commercial fishing operations.[9] Anglers and fish farmers have also persecuted the species, which they regard as a competitor, though the impact of this on the species' population is not known.[10]
Gallery

Juvenile, Florida
Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
Three red-breasted mergansers at the rocks in Sipoo, Finland
Courtship display

References

BirdLife International (2018). "Mergus serrator". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22680485A132053220. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22680485A132053220.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 129.
Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 498.
Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 251, 354. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Screamers, ducks, geese & swans". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
"Red-breasted Merganser Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
"Red-breasted Merganser: Similar Species Comparison". All About Birds. Cornell University. 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
"Mergus serrator: Sounds". All About Birds. Cornell University. 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
Dewey, T. (2009). "Mergus serrator". Animal Diversity Web. Regents of the University of Michigan. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
"Species factsheet: Mergus serrator". BirdLife International Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
"The Need for Speed". www.ducks.org. Ducks Unlimited. 7 May 2007. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
"List of Birds Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (2020)". US Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 23 March 2023.