Goosander
Mergus merganser
Where is it found?
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Wooded areas near streams, rivers and lakes.
Diet and foraging method
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Dives for fish and other aquatic prey
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Key adaptations
Slender bill for catching fish.
Streamlined body to dive beneath the surface of the water chasing fish.
Streamlined body to dive beneath the surface of the water chasing fish.
Social organisation and mating system
Fly together in small groups
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Form monogamous breeding pairs
Did you know that...?
Goosanders nest in holes in trees! The chicks jump out when they are a day or two old and start to catch their own food with their parents providing protection while they forage.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: Species.mol.org/species
"Mergus-merganser-americanus-001". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mergus-merganser-americanus-001.jpg#/media/File:Mergus-merganser-americanus-001.jpg
"Mergus-merganser-americanus-001". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mergus-merganser-americanus-001.jpg#/media/File:Mergus-merganser-americanus-001.jpg
