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All About Birds

All About Birds

Common Merganser

Overview
ID Info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Common Merganser Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Display (North American)
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New York, May 17, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan | Macaulay Library
Calls (North American)
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New York, May 23, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan | Macaulay Library
Calls (North American)
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New York, May 17, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan | Macaulay Library
Calls (Eurasian)
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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

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Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Common Goldeneye

Barrow's Goldeneye

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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

White-winged Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Common Goldeneye

Barrow's Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Browse Species in This Family

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