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Bird ID

Red-breasted Merganser

Overview
ID Info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Red-breasted Merganser Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Display
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New York, March 31, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan | Macaulay Library
Female calls
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New York, March 31, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan | Macaulay Library
Female calls
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SwedenRecorded by Sture Palmér | Macaulay Library
Female calls
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Alaska, June 05, 2007Recorded by Gerrit Vyn | Macaulay Library
Female calls
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Alaska, June 05, 2007Recorded by Gerrit Vyn | Macaulay Library

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

Calls

When displaying, females give a raspy or croaking call while males give a catlike meow. In flight females make a harsh gruk. Otherwise Red-breasted Mergansers are generally silent.

Compare with Similar Species

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Common Merganser

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser

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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

More to Read

Macaulay Library
How to Recognize Duck Courtship Displays
Bird Academy
Be a Better Birder: Duck and Waterfowl Identification Course
Living Bird Magazine
Kayak Birding at Kodiak Island, Alaska

Living Bird Magazine
Birds in the 'Burbs—Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Bird ID Skills: How to Learn Bird Songs and Calls
eBird
eBird: Help & FAQ

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