Common Merganser

The common merganser is a large, streamlined diving duck, easily identifiable by its long, thin, serrated orange bill designed for catching fish. Males are striking with their dark green heads, white bodies, and black backs, while females have gray bodies and reddish-brown crested heads. Both sexes share the slender “sawbill” characteristic of mergansers.

Found in large lakes, rivers, and coastal bays, common mergansers are excellent swimmers and divers, often seen foraging for fish underwater, making them a prized species for hunters targeting waterfowl in colder, northern habitats.