Common Merganser
Common MerganserCommon Merganser

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Plitvice Lakes National Park
214 Verified sightings at Plitvice Lakes National Park From 2019 to 2026
26,492 Verified sightings across all 68 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ 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 Plitvice Lakes National Park

Red-breasted Merganser
LC

Red-breasted Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus serrator

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Tufted Duck
LC

Tufted Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya fuligula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ferruginous Duck
NT

Ferruginous Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya nyroca

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Common Shelduck
LC

Common Shelduck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tadorna tadorna

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Eurasian Wigeon
LC

Eurasian Wigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca penelope

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Mandarin Duck
LC

Mandarin Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aix galericulata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Common Teal
LC

Common Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas crecca

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Mute Swan
LC

Mute Swan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cygnus olor

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Common Pochard
VU

Common Pochard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya ferina

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Northern Shoveler
LC

Northern Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula clypeata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

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 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
5 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
6 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
7 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
8 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
9 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~20%
10 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~20%
11 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
12 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
13 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
14 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
15 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
16 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
17 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
18 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
19 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
20 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%
21 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
22 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
23 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
24 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
25 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
26 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
27 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
~10%
28 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
29 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
~10%
30 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
31 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%
32 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
~10%
33 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
34 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
35 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
36 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
37 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
38 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
40 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
41 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
43 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
44 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
45 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
46 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
47 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
48 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
49 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
50 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
51 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
52 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
53 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
54 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
55 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
56 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
57 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
58 Jiuzhaigou National Park 🇨🇳 China
Insufficient data
59 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
60 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
61 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Insufficient data
62 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
63 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
64 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
65 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
Insufficient data
66 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
67 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
68 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Merganser in Plitvice Lakes National Park?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser sighting in Plitvice Lakes National Park, based on 214 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Merganser in Plitvice Lakes National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Common Merganser in Plitvice Lakes National Park in our monthly data.

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