Skip to Content Area

All About Birds

Donate

All About Birds

All About Birds

Birds
Live Cams
Courses
Bird ID

Common Merganser Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Display (North American)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
New York, May 17, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan | Macaulay Library
Calls (North American)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
New York, May 23, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan | Macaulay Library
Calls (North American)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
New York, May 17, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan | Macaulay Library
Calls (Eurasian)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Västra Götalands län [SE-14], June 26, 2011Recorded by Patrik Åberg | Macaulay Library

Sounds provided by Macaulay Library.
Listen to more sounds of this species from the ML archive.

Calls

Common Mergansers are usually silent, but females make a high, rapid cro cro cro to call ducklings from the nest, and give harsh gruk calls when threatened by predators. Males give hoarse calls when alarmed and bell-like or twanging calls during courtship.

Other Sounds

Their wings can make a hollow, rushing sound in flight.

Compare with Similar Species

Click on an image to compare

Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Common Goldeneye

Barrow's Goldeneye

Looking for ID Help?

Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds.

Try Merlin Bird ID

Species in This Family

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl(Order: Anseriformes, Family: Anatidae)

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Greater White-fronted Goose

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Eurasian Wigeon

American Wigeon

American Black Duck

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Ring-necked Duck

Steller's Eider

Spectacled Eider

White-winged Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Common Goldeneye

Barrow's Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Browse Species in This Family

More to Read

Power Struggles Are Playing Out at Your Feeder—Here's What to Look For
Living Bird Magazine
In Colombia, Shade-Grown Coffee Sustains Songbirds and People Alike
Living Bird Magazine
At Orchards and Vineyards, Birds Are Outperforming Pesticides

Why do hummingbirds fight so much?
Should I worry that my small, five-pound dog might get attacked by a hawk or owl?
How to Clean Your Bird Feeder

About Us

Contact Us

© 2022 Cornell University

Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin

Search for species name or keywords

Or Browse Bird Guide by Family or Shape

Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin

Don't miss a thing! Join our email list

The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.