Listen to the common merganser
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the common merganser
The common merganser is a bird in the family Anatidae (order Anseriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 93 cm and weigh around 1.7 kg.
What does the common merganser sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as song. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
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.
More from the family Anatidae
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Greylag goose
Anser anser
Northern pintail
Anas acuta
Mute swan
Cygnus olor
Eurasian teal
Anas crecca
Ruddy shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Whooper swan
Cygnus cygnus
Eurasian wigeon
Mareca penelope
Common shelduck
Tadorna tadorna
Tufted duck
Aythya fuligula
Common pochard
Aythya ferina
Frequently asked questions
What does a common merganser sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the common merganser on this page, including its song. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the common merganser endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the common merganser as “least concern”.
What family does the common merganser belong to?
The common merganser (Mergus merganser) belongs to the family Anatidae in the order Anseriformes.
Sources & credits
- Song · Lüscherz, Dorf (near Lüscherz), Erlach, Bern, Switzerland by Pascal Christe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q180991 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Common merganser – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Frank Schulenburg – CC BY-SA 3.0