Species group · Birds

Mergansers

WAnimals has 2 species of merganser, all in the family Anatidae.

2 species
1 family
47 countries
96 parks
Weight
900 g – 2.1 kg
Length
52 cm – 72 cm
Lifespan
8 – 9 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of mergansers on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

2 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 47 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • Its serrated bill is what earns it the English name of sawbill.

    From Goosander

  • Several females may share the same tree to breed, forming mixed broods of more than 40 ducklings.

    From Goosander

  • Its ducklings jump straight from the tree hole to the water or the ground after hatching.

    From Goosander

  • Its bill carries backward-pointing horny barbs that work like a saw and stop fish escaping once caught: hence the specific name serrator, "sawyer".

    From Red-breasted Merganser

  • It is a powerful flier that reaches 129 km/h in level flight.

    From Red-breasted Merganser

  • The Mar Menor has at times held between 20% and 40% of the Iberian wintering population and 5% of the world total.

    From Red-breasted Merganser

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one