Where does the red-breasted merganser nest and breed?
The red-breasted merganser migrates north in mid-March to nest and breed from the Great Lakes to the Arctic. • Females return to the same nesting area each year. Nests are located on the ground. • Female mergansers lay an average of five to 10 eggs, but they sometimes lay as many as 24 eggs. The incubation period is about 30 days. If their first nest is lost to predators, females will renest. • Females often abandon their young as soon as a week after hatching. It is assumed that young mergansers learn to fly within about 60 to 65 days, but this has not been proven. Other facts about the red-breasted merganser: • Red-breasted mergansers fly in a single-file line very low over the water. • Red-breasted mergansers are very active swimmers and can swim well both above and below the water’s surface.
