# Common merganser (*Mergus merganser*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-merganser  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The common merganser (Mergus merganser), also called the Goosander, is a bird in the waterfowl subgroup, belonging to the family Anatidae and the order Anseriformes. It is a medium-sized bird with an adult body mass of 1.451 kg, ranging from 1.232 to 1.709 kg in our sources, and a wingspan of 93 cm. This migratory, aquatic carnivore is classed as an aquatic predator and is associated with riverine habitats, across a geographic range of 24,920,000 km². It lays 1 clutch per year with a clutch size of 9.8, incubates eggs for 30 days, reaches sexual maturity at 2 years, and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.23 kg – 1.71 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 93 cm |
| Lifespan | 13.8 years – 14.8 years |
| Diet | Aquatic predator |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | riverine |
| Egg incubation | 30 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 9.8 |
| Age at maturity | 2 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Lifestyle | Aquatic |
| Migration | Migratory |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Anseriformes
- family: Anatidae
- genus: Mergus
- species: *Mergus merganser* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Merganser raii*, *Mergus gulo*, *Mergus rubricapilla*, *Mergus variabilis*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the common merganser?

The common merganser is a bird in the waterfowl subgroup, belonging to the family Anatidae in the order Anseriformes.

### How heavy is the common merganser?

An adult Common merganser weighs 1.451 kg, with values from 1.232 to 1.709 kg reported by our sources. Its wingspan is 93 cm.

### What does the common merganser eat?

The common merganser is an aquatic predator and a carnivore.

### Is the common merganser endangered?

No. The common merganser is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does the common merganser live?

The common merganser has a lifespan of 13.8 years, with up to 14.83 years reported by our sources.

### How many eggs does the common merganser lay?

The common merganser has a clutch size of 9.8 and lays 1 clutch per year. Incubation lasts 30 days.

### Is the common merganser migratory?

Yes, the common merganser is migratory. It is associated with riverine habitats.

### Who named the common merganser?

The common merganser was named Mergus merganser by Linnaeus, 1758. Other English names include Goosander, Dun-diver, Big sawbill, Big fish-duck and Big sheldrake.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Common merganser (Mergus merganser). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-merganser