The Twitcher: a birding column

A common merganser standing in shallow water. Photo by Kai Frueh.

Bird of the week: common merganser

A common merganser standing in shallow water. Photo by Kai Frueh.

Bird of the week: common merganser

About: A large, diving, fish-eating duck with a long red bill. Males are white with a dark greenish-black back and head. Females have a light white/gray belly and darker gray back with brown head. Similar to the red-breasted merganser, which has a slimmer bill and shaggier crest.

Where to find this bird: It likes to feed on open water along the Fox River. It also frequently roosts on ice shelves in winter.

When to find this bird: mid-October–early May

Fun fact: The name ‘merganser’ comes from latin and roughly translates to ‘plunging goose.’ They are also known as goosander in some places.