Common Merganser

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

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser sighting in Phoenix on a given day, based on 169 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 117th most-seen of the 238 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

Any time of year. In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser in Phoenix on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

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 Phoenix the best place to see a Common Merganser?

62nd of 70. Of the 70 cities where we can rate Common Merganser sightings, Phoenix ranks 62nd 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 Phoenix?

Same family: Anatidae. The closest relatives of the Common Merganser that you can see in Phoenix (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 30%), Canada Goose (about 20%) and American Wigeon (about 10%), 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 Phoenix (169 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 Phoenix

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

169 Verified sightings at Phoenix

17,637 In all 48 parks From 2019 to 2026

January 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 Phoenix

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Branta canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Mareca americana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Aythya collaris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Spatula clypeata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cairina moschata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Oxyura jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya affinis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anas carolinensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Lophodytes cucullatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya valisineria

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Mareca strepera

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

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

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser sighting in Phoenix on a given day, based on 169 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 117th most-seen of the 238 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Merganser in Phoenix on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

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 Phoenix the best place to see a Common Merganser?

62nd of 70

Of the 70 cities where we can rate Common Merganser sightings, Phoenix ranks 62nd 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 Phoenix?

Same family: Anatidae

The closest relatives of the Common Merganser that you can see in Phoenix (family Anatidae, Ducks, Geese, and Swans) are Mallard (about 30%), Canada Goose (about 20%) and American Wigeon (about 10%), 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 Phoenix (169 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 Phoenix

Common Merganser

About the Common Merganser

Sounds

Recent sightings of Common Merganser in Phoenix

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Phoenix

Mallard

Canada Goose

American Wigeon

Ring-necked Duck

Northern Shoveler

Muscovy Duck

Ruddy Duck

Lesser Scaup

Green-winged Teal

Hooded Merganser

Canvasback

Gadwall

Before you go

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

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

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

Is Phoenix the best place to see a Common Merganser?

Which relatives of the Common Merganser live in Phoenix?

Where does the Common Merganser sighting chance come from?