Common Merganser

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Common Merganser in Cologne?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser sighting in Cologne on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 59th most-seen of the 89 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Common Merganser in Cologne?

March and October–December. In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser in Cologne on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and April–September, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Common Merganser?

Between 3 and 6 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Merganser sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Cologne the best place to see a Common Merganser?

42nd of 70. Of the 70 cities where we can rate Common Merganser sightings, Cologne ranks 42nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Calgary (Canada, about 50%), Helsinki (Finland, about 40%) and Lanzhou (China, about 30%).

Q: Which relatives of the Common Merganser live in Cologne?

Same family: Anatidae. The closest relatives of the Common Merganser that you can see in Cologne (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 40%), Egyptian Goose (about 40%) and Canada Goose (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Common Merganser sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Common Merganser is recorded against all the birds logged in Cologne (21 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Mergus merganser

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusMergus (Typical Mergansers)
SpeciesMergus merganser (Common Merganser)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Cologne

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

21 Verified sightings at Cologne

17,637 In all 48 parks From 2019 to 2026

December Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Merganser

The common merganser or goosander (Mergus merganser) is a large sea duck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats mainly fish. It nests in holes in trees. The name "common merganser" is used in North America, while "goosander" is used in Eurasia.

The first formal description of the common merganser was written by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. He introduced the current binomial name Mergus merganser. The genus name is a Latin word used by Pliny and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified waterbird, and merganser is derived from mergus and anser, Latin for "goose". In 1843 John James Audubon used the name "Buff-breasted Merganser" in addition to "goosander" in his book The Birds of America.

The three subspecies differ in only minor detail: It is 58–72 cm (23–28+1⁄2 in) long with a 78–97 cm (30+1⁄2–38 in) wingspan and a weight of 0.9–2.1 kg (2 lb 0 oz – 4 lb 10 oz); males are on average slightly larger than females, but with some overlap. Like other species in the genus Mergus, it has a crest of longer head feathers, but these usually... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Flight call0:15

Sweden · 2021

Call0:28

Poland · 2012

Call0:19

Sweden · 2011

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 20 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~70%
2	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~60%
3	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	~40%
4	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
5	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
6	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
7	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	~30%
8	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
9	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~20%
10	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
11	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	~20%
12	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
13	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
14	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	~10%
15	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
16	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
17	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
18	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~10%
19	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~10%
20	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
21	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
22	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
23	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
24	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
25	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
26	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
27	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
28	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
29	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
30	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	~10%
31	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
32	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	~10%
33	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
34	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
35	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
36	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
37	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	<5%
38	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	<5%
39	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
40	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
41	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
42	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
43	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
44	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
45	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
46	Namdapha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
47	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
48	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Calgary	🇨🇦 Canada	~50%
2	Helsinki	🇫🇮 Finland	~40%
3	Lanzhou	🇨🇳 China	~30%
4	Sacramento	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
5	Taiyuan	🇨🇳 China	~30%
6	Sendai	🇯🇵 Japan	~30%
7	Munich	🇩🇪 Germany	~30%
8	Birmingham	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~20%
9	Warsaw	🇵🇱 Poland	~20%
10	Manchester	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Prague Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
2	Dresden Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
3	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
4	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Toledo Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
6	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
7	Centro Cicogne e Anatidi	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
8	Cologne Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
9	London Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
10	Oasi Naturalistica di Sant'Alessio	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
11	Queens Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
12	Stone Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Bayerwald-Tierpark Lohberg	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
14	Alpenzoo Innsbruck	🇦🇹 Austria	In captivity
15	Central Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
16	Aquarium Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
17	Rákosův pavilon	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
18	Velemlokárium	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
19	Cologne Zoo Aquarium	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
20	Les Oiseaux du Marais Poitevin	🇫🇷 France	In captivity

Show all 20 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Cologne

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Branta canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Cygnus olor

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Anser anser

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Aythya fuligula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anas crecca

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya ferina

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Mareca strepera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Columba palumbus

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Corvus corone

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Parus major

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Merganser in Cologne?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser sighting in Cologne on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 59th most-seen of the 89 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Merganser in Cologne?

March and October–December

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser in Cologne on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and April–September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Common Merganser?

Between 3 and 6 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Merganser sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Cologne the best place to see a Common Merganser?

42nd of 70

Of the 70 cities where we can rate Common Merganser sightings, Cologne ranks 42nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Calgary (Canada, about 50%), Helsinki (Finland, about 40%) and Lanzhou (China, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Common Merganser live in Cologne?

Same family: Anatidae

The closest relatives of the Common Merganser that you can see in Cologne (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 40%), Egyptian Goose (about 40%) and Canada Goose (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Merganser sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Merganser is recorded against all the birds logged in Cologne (21 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Cologne

Common Merganser

About the Common Merganser

Sounds

Recent sightings of Common Merganser in Cologne

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Cologne

Mallard

Egyptian Goose

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

Greylag Goose

Tufted Duck

Eurasian Teal

Common Pochard

Gadwall

Wood Pigeon

Carrion Crow

Great Tit

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Merganser in Cologne?

When is the best time to see a Common Merganser in Cologne?

What time of day is best to see a Common Merganser?

Is Cologne the best place to see a Common Merganser?

Which relatives of the Common Merganser live in Cologne?

Where does the Common Merganser sighting chance come from?