Different plumage phases of Red-breasted Merganser Drakes

Male Red-breasted Merganser in breeding plumage

Awhile back someone told me (in a comment on this blog) that mergansers don’t change their plumage seasonally which is incorrect as all three species of mergansers that live in North America do. The image above shows a Red-breasted Merganser drake in breeding plumage. I took this image at a pond very close to where I live in Salt Lake County, Utah.

Note the very dark head plus the striking black and white patterns on the back of the merganser and evidence of the red breast this species gets part of its name from. Don’t you just love the shaggy, punk rock do these birds have?

Male Red-breasted Mergansers in eclipse plumage

All three of the birds in the image above are male Red-breasted Mergansers in eclipse plumage and look remarkably different than the male in breeding plumage shown above. Or maybe these mergansers are just females that got a really bad deal on smoky eye shadow at Walgreen’s.

Seriously, they are males in eclipse plumage photographed at Fort De Soto’s north beach in Florida.

It pays to have great bird guides. I have plenty on a shelf right above my computer monitor and keep one in the vehicle with me too. I also have two bird guide apps on my smart phone so I can use them anywhere I am without the weight of a book. Not only can the guides help with a bird’s identification they can also help us distinguish the various plumage phases of birds or if they change seasonally.

At any rate, I’d say that these images of Red-breasted Merganser drakes show there is a seasonal change in their plumage.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to view more of my Red-breasted Merganser photos plus facts and information about this species.

By Mia McPherson|February 4th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Red-breasted Mergansers, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, bird ID, breeding plumage, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, eclipse plumage, male, merganser, mergansers, Mergus serrator, Red-breasted Merganser, seasonal plumage changes|22 Comments

22 Comments

Jane Chesebrough February 8, 2013 at 1:37 pm

That top photo is perfect! A little comical in the one below but all birds do go through a molt.
- Mia McPherson February 9, 2013 at 6:19 am
  
  Thanks Jane. Not all birds have breeding plumage, some just molt into fresh feathers to replace those that are worn.
Lynn Koch February 6, 2013 at 7:17 am

These photos are beautiful with amazing detail and composition! Beautiful birds
- Mia McPherson February 6, 2013 at 1:47 pm
  
  Thanks very much Lynn.
Ingrid February 5, 2013 at 2:31 am

Thank you for the eclipse image! I didn’t start seeing a lot of Red-breasted Mergansers until I moved to Seattle, and I wasn’t 100 percent sure about the smoky eye rings and which phase they indicated.
- Mia McPherson February 6, 2013 at 1:07 pm
  
  Thanks Ingrid!
Gary Thomsen February 4, 2013 at 7:03 pm

Mia, what do you recommend for a “really good bird guide”. There are so many to choose from. As I don’t have a smart phone and don’t carry around apps, is there something else on-line that works well for you?
- Mia McPherson February 6, 2013 at 1:01 pm
  
  Hi Gary, thanks for stopping by my site.
  
  The bird Guide book I most often reach for is my big Sibley Guide to Birds, in fact the binder on it has begun to crack I use it so much. Sibley is coming out with a new edition of it this year and I plan on buying it as soon as possible. I have many other guidebooks too and I use them as well.
M. Firpi February 4, 2013 at 4:24 pm

This is a delightful post, I love that joke about the Walgreens make-up.
- Mia McPherson February 6, 2013 at 12:52 pm
  
  Thanks Maria, I thought the Walgreens joke might make a few people laugh 🙂
Wally February 4, 2013 at 2:40 pm

“Variety is the spice of life.” Apparently, ducks are pretty spicy ’cause it can be a challenge to figure out who is who as the fall, winter, spring can give them a startlingly different look! As you so expertly photographed!
- Mia McPherson February 6, 2013 at 12:51 pm
  
  Thanks Wally, female ducks can be a challenge to ID for me!
Bob Bushell February 4, 2013 at 1:12 pm

The plumage is so difference, I have never seen it like that, thanks for that. Beautiful pictures as well.
- Mia McPherson February 6, 2013 at 12:50 pm
  
  Thank you for your comment Bob, they are really very different in breeding and nonbreeding plumage.
Sherry in MT February 4, 2013 at 7:56 am

Oh yeah they do! Although we most often only see them in breeding plumage as that is the only time they arrive this far north. I love their punk harido best of all!
- Mia McPherson February 6, 2013 at 12:47 pm
  
  Thanks Sherry, I love that punk rock hairdo too!
Tami February 4, 2013 at 7:55 am

Great photos to accompany a fun yet educational story, Mia. (and btw: smoky eyes are ALL the rage – or at least they appear to be based on the scary images I last saw in Vogue…) 🙂
- Mia McPherson February 6, 2013 at 12:47 pm
  
  Tami… I agree, smoky eyes do seem to be all the rage in fashion magazines I see that the check out! 🙂 Thanks for your comment and the smile it gave me.
John Randall February 4, 2013 at 7:28 am

Thank you Mia for this info and for the awesome photos!
- Mia McPherson February 4, 2013 at 7:36 am
  
  Thank you John for your wonderful comment!
judy watson February 4, 2013 at 5:49 am

Love them! Beautiful, Mia!
they are too far away for me to get a pic.
- Mia McPherson February 4, 2013 at 6:56 am
  
  Thanks Judy!

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