Key information
These handsome diving ducks belong to the sawbill family, so called because of their long, serrated bills, used for catching fish. Their diet of fish such as salmon and trout has brought them into conflict with game fishermen. At home on both fresh- and saltwater, red-breasted mergansers are most commonly seen around the UK's coastline in winter. They are gregarious, forming flocks of several hundred in the autumn.
What they eat:
Fish.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 52-58cm
- Wingspan:
- 70-86cm
- Weight:
- 900-1,350g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 2,800 pairs
- UK wintering:
- 9,000 birds
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Red-breasted merganser (male)
Red-breasted merganser (female)
