- Mergus serrator
Identification
52-58 cm long with a 67-82 cm wingspan. Its bill is red, long and thin with serrated edges. Adult males have 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 greyish body. Juveniles are like the female, but lack the white collar and have a smaller white wing patch.
The call of the female is prak prrak.
Distribution
North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Freshwater lakes and rivers.
Behaviour
This is a diving duck. The diet is mainly small fish, aquatic insects and frogs.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Mergus serrator (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
