Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusMergus (Typical Mergansers)
SpeciesMergus merganser (Common Merganser)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Gates of the Arctic National Park

7 Verified sightings at Gates of the Arctic National Park From 2019 to 2026

8,501 Verified sightings across all 46 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Common Merganser

The common merganser or goosander (Mergus merganser) is a large sea duck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats mainly fish. It nests in holes in trees. The name "common merganser" is used in North America, while "goosander" is used in Eurasia.

The first formal description of the common merganser was written by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. He introduced the current binomial name Mergus merganser. The genus name is a Latin word used by Pliny and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified waterbird, and merganser is derived from mergus and anser, Latin for "goose". In 1843 John James Audubon used the name "Buff-breasted Merganser" in addition to "goosander" in his book The Birds of America.

The three subspecies differ in only minor detail: It is 58–72 cm (23–28+1⁄2 in) long with a 78–97 cm (30+1⁄2–38 in) wingspan and a weight of 0.9–2.1 kg (2 lb 0 oz – 4 lb 10 oz); males are on average slightly larger than females, but with some overlap. Like other species in the genus Mergus, it has a crest of longer head feathers, but these usually... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Gates of the Arctic National Park

Mergus serrator

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Anser caerulescens

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Aythya marila

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Anas crecca

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Melanitta perspicillata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Mareca americana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cygnus buccinator

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Melanitta deglandi

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Anas acuta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cygnus columbianus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Bucephala albeola

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~70%
2	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~60%
3	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	~40%
4	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~20%
5	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	~20%
6	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~10%
7	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	~10%
8	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
9	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~10%
11	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
12	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
13	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
14	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
15	Thingvellir National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	~10%
16	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~10%
17	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	~10%
18	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
19	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	~10%
20	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	~10%
21	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
22	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	<5%
23	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
24	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
25	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
26	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	<5%
27	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
28	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
29	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
30	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
31	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
32	Namdapha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
33	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
34	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
35	Ecrins National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
36	Khangchendzonga National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
37	Jiuzhaigou National Park	🇨🇳 China	Insufficient data
38	Vanoise National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
39	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	Insufficient data
40	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	Insufficient data
41	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
42	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
43	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
44	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	Insufficient data
45	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
46	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data

← Back to Gates of the Arctic National Park

Common Merganser

About the Common Merganser

Recent sightings of Common Merganser in Gates of the Arctic National Park

Closest Relatives at Gates of the Arctic National Park

Red-breasted Merganser

Snow Goose

Greater Scaup

Common Teal

Surf Scoter

American Wigeon

Trumpeter Swan

American White-winged Scoter

Northern Pintail

Tundra Swan

Ring-necked Duck

Bufflehead

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found