I've struggled to find common mergansers. There are not many siting's on eBird, in our area. I made a first visit to Lake Silverwood, in the Cajon Pass area, to see some that were reported there and I found hooded, but not common mergansers. I found a bunch of them on a private reservoir in Mentone, but they kept on the other side of the reservoir from me and I was not able to get very close (and the photos were poor). This past Saturday I drove up to Lake Silverwood again and this time did find common mergansers and was able to get relatively close.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS8-cs0awU_xs16KF3fPY4wv8qOS34GiYYXO-HsY5PtMGzYroxrSGv5CM8xKPmrMUijd0iGxFbfs-oyAdUhkWWK5Ge0HNpzQSldVjlFqhUAGYhjNUQUAtXJXgz3JTr7GupKjO76gJc0QTY_rniVWBNRVE8-FAoTwpn9s_m-r6A1KR2LCkJuDePaEmU=w400-h238) |
A female at Lake Silverwood. |
They have a crest of long head feathers that can form an erect crest, or the feathers can lie smoothly behind the head. They have a bill and legs that are red to brownish red (brightest on adult males and more brownish on juveniles). Males in breeding plumage have a black head with a green sheen, a white body, a gray tail and rump.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIE8rGp0ucpWXDW1YDcLkRlZ4gd7mHRho6szK20w8Sr7jeew6IkNnVgqzKJFcXb2PBy6uO4F3Soxo0kscY2aIdo07aFKQrH_P7q22FgeO4dXAUGylLKH3bsB5XkzedgD--13WGijQy4NLZ-aZsLvWBVaNHAO82EsdCZ_8Zw8AHmWp4Z9qC0aNgljRK=w400-h175) |
This photo was taken at the Mentone Reservoir. A male is back right. Two females are center/left and a ring-necked duck is right/center. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSiI3nQPipraLHkXxSFd3tfQgmcxhWZ2VbHf4Z07PBiMHZACGxm5HrGmZne4yp7vjtsxyLqxf4itA6DsCmi_B6SQ94fdq43aBmhWLemVlrylIinjkS8D5TYQ6KlqF9VzGeN3O8CawLIVYV_g0Eo_LzV5BKcuOdsS5grIwwyZszvLN-z91ZMN2JzCbT=w400-h96) |
This phot was also taken at the Mentone Reservoir. There are 10 females, 1 male back/right, a canvasback left/center and a ring-necked duck center/left. |
Females and "eclipse" mails (those not in breeding plumage) have a reddish-brown head, a white chin and otherwise are mostly gray. The look quite a bit like the red-breasted merganser females, but are distinguished by the white chin and a distinct line between the reddish head and gray neck and body. Juveniles, both male and female, look like adult females, but have a short white stripe with black edges between the eye and bill.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsJHiMmhkL7aVzcHDU6VXPogt1-H8audsLVE_NklMwgFqohEKez9PlMo3xC0LztdScB74q2TtT1ts_IKlIOeesGS95w0TKLAV13rIzKDQ6OPer7lASjaczFccSo1ECZPC3uW6Qd6kU_XE31u0gtZ2Q4Mfea4zGMFGM4lRwheqOnUacaUyvP4q_TMDr=w400-h239) |
These females were all seen at Lake Silverwood. |
They eat primarily fish, nest in holes in trees, and live primarily on lakes and rivers in forested areas.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwP_UY_a1o_X_Y_tcaHkQBjgHV6cU42g_UX53NJwFy2vnHVqG0XRI7La3TxCvbWG6y6TfM2tAbpE6idNkv-iesWLNVjY5QOBHEPCmkSa1S10uEZ3gyyoD2HlzTG01PFcC8lDO_2JWzzWnDpMCm8mI2iEthI9z6el5l-hKVGDxJFpONmu_bMUnWVjII=w400-h249) |
Immature birds (here with a ruddy duck) with a white stripe and black edges between the eye and bill. |
The not-so-common common merganser.
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