 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Atlas results coming soon
Note: During all years of the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas drought conditions persisted and the Atlas range maps for all waterfowl, waterbirds, and wetland-associated species should be viewed as characteristic of distribution and abundance during dry conditions. Read the full drought statement here.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
The Common Merganser is the largest of the three mergansers, and also the largest of our diving ducks. Like the Red-breasted Merganser, it feeds primarily on fish, and like the Hooded Merganser, it tends to nest in tree cavities. This merganser enjoys a wide distribution in both the Nearctic and Palearctic faunal regions; it is known as the "Goosander? in the latter. In North America, it breeds from Alaska and central Quebec south to northern Mexico and the northeastern US, and it winters from coastal Alaska and southern Canada south to northern Mexico and the Gulf coast (AOU 1983).
During the breeding season this species nests along, and forages in, rivers and freshwater lakes. During migration it occurs on rivers, freshwater lakes, and reservoirs; in winter it is restricted to open water below dams or warm water discharge.
As a breeding bird, the Common Merganser is fairly common on the "fish-rich? lakes and rivers of the subarctic and boreal regions. In the "fish-poor? south, it is a fairly common transient but has bred near Kenaston, on Swift Current Creek, and in the Cypress Hills (Smith 1996). In the south, summer records presumed to be of non-breeding birds are rare but widespread on reservoirs and larger freshwater lakes.
Original text by Candace Neufeld. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Common Merganser in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Common Merganser in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=COME&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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