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Mergansers are casual, migratory visitors to
the Imperial Valley.
I have only seen individuals or pairs resting in quiet rural canals or freshwater lakes like Fig Lagoon near Seeley and the Finney-Ramer Lakes near Brawley. Male Mergansers have green heads with white and black bodys. Females (see photo) have a reddish head with large crests, a gray body, and long orange bills. |
If you are interested in learning more about this bird online - I recommend you start with the Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/infocenter.htmlThey present photographs, songs, identification tips, maps, and life history information for North American birds - including the Common Merganser, the Red-Breasted Merganser, and the Hooded Merganser.
OTHER OUTSIDE LINKS FOR THIS BIRD:
Characteristics - Informative link on the Common Merganser, with male/female photo, displayed by the "BCAdventure.com" Web site.
Common Merganser Tracks - Kim A. Cabrera's "Animal Tracks of Humboldt County" Web site has an image of this bird's footprint and some natural history notes on mergansers.
This site is maintained by:
Eldon R. Caldwell
Imperial Valley College
Email: eldonc@imperial.cc.ca.us