Status in UK:
(A) Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies:merganser recorded in Britain (of 3 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
62 cm
Wingspan:
90 cm
Weight:
M: 1.7 kg F: 1.3 kg
Scientific name from:
L.: mergus=a waterbird
and L.: mergus=a waterbird + anser=a goose
World Distribution:
BREEDS: n&c Eurasia, w&n North America, WINTERS: south to Mediterranean, Black Seas & c Mexico
Habitat:
Lakes, rivers, on migration estuaries
Diet:
Primarily fish, often pursued by swimming short distances
TitBit:
A young Goosander requires 33kg of fish to reach adulthood, and birds are shot (under licence) on several (mostly Scottish) rivers to protect angling interests, though how effective this is is debated
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
Wider Countryside Report
Regional Trends:
No regional trends available
Distribution:
No distribution maps available
British Population Size:
Summer:
2300 to 2900 pairs
in 1987
Winter:
16 thousand individuals
in 1994-99
First Record:
1662
[Fossil evidence from
Wolstonian (penultimate) glaciation, c. 150,000 yr ago]
First Breeding Record:
Perthshire (and probably earlier) 1871
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
Summer:
39 to 65 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WBD(II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results:
BirdTrack
Wetland Bird Survey Alerts
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
68 x 47 mm
Egg Weight:
82.0 g (of which 10 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
9
Clutch Size:
8 - 11 eggs
Incubation:
30 - 32 days
by the:
Female
Fledging:
60 - 70 days
as:
Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
1
Trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
28
Adult Survival:
No data
Juvenile Survival:
No data
Age at First Breeding:
2
years
Typical Lifespan:
No data
Maximum Recorded Age:
9yr6m
(Switzerland: 14yr 1m)
Biometrics
Ring Size:
H
Wing Length
Adult:
Insufficient Data.
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
Insufficient Data.
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Other Names
Common Merganser
Gaelic:
Sìolta
Welsh:
Hwyaden Ddanheddog
Danish:
Stor skallesluger
Dutch:
Grote zaagbek
Finnish:
Isokoskelo
French:
Harle bièvre
German:
Gänsesäger
Hungarian:
Nagy bukó
Icelandic:
Gulönd
Irish:
Síolta Mhór
Italian:
Smergo maggiore
Norwegian:
Laksand
Polish:
Nuroges
Portuguese:
Merganso-grande
Spanish:
Serreta grande
Swedish:
Storskrake
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Kear, J 2005 Ducks, geese and swans Oxford University Press
[598.48 KEA]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
These data should be cited as: Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)
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Other Names
