Do you recognize these ducks? They are Common Mergansers and I took these photographs from my backyard which abuts the Sudbury River. The mostly white ducks with the very dark green heads and dark orange bills are the males. The mostly gray ducks with the reddish heads and orange bills are the females. I wish I could get closer shots of the mergs because I would love for you to see their serrated beaks with hooked tips that they use for catching and eating fish – most other ducks have flat, rounded beaks.

We find Common Mergansers here in the fall and winter months, but any day now they will migrate north to breed in rivers and lakes from upper Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Canada, and even Alaska. I’m already seeing fewer mergansers here on the Sudbury River.

Common Mergansers nest in natural tree cavities or old woodpecker holes – LARGE tree cavities and woodpecker holes! They will also nest in boxes. I have a large duck nesting box out along my backyard shoreline. I had it installed some years ago in hopes to entice them to stay – nope, I’ve never even seen them check it out!

I just went on the Cornell Lab’s site – follow this link to learn more about Common Mergansers and to see photos of their serrated beaks https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Merganser/photo-gallery/63910971