Red-breasted Merganser
Red-breasted MerganserRed-breasted MerganserRed-breasted MerganserRed-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Channel Islands National Park
719 Verified records at Channel Islands National Park
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) is a duck species that is native to much of the temperate to subarctic Northern Hemisphere. The red breast that gives the species its common name is only displayed by males in breeding plumage. Individuals fly rapidly, and feed by diving from the surface to pursue aquatic animals underwater, using serrated bills to capture slippery fish. They migrate each year from breeding sites on lakes and rivers to their mostly coastal wintering areas, making them the most frequent species in the genus Mergus to frequent saltwater regularly. The worldwide population of this species is stable, though it is threatened in some areas by habitat loss and other factors. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-breasted Merganser sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 719 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Channel Islands National Park

Common Merganser
LC

Common Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus merganser

<5% · Rare
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

50–60% · Likely
Ruddy Duck
LC

Ruddy Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oxyura jamaicensis

30–40% · Possible
Gadwall
LC

Gadwall

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca strepera

30–40% · Possible
Surf Scoter
LC

Surf Scoter

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanitta perspicillata

20–30% · Possible
Northern Shoveler
LC

Northern Shoveler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula clypeata

20–30% · With luck
Bufflehead
LC

Bufflehead

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala albeola

20–30% · With luck
Cinnamon Teal

Cinnamon Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spatula cyanoptera

10–20% · With luck
Lesser Scaup
LC

Lesser Scaup

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya affinis

10–20% · With luck
Canada Goose
LC

Canada Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Branta canadensis

10–20% · With luck
American Wigeon

American Wigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca americana

5–10% · With luck
Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
5–10
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
10–20
Nov
30–40
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
60–70%
2 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
50–60%
3 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
4 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
5 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
6 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
7 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
8 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
9 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
10 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
11 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
12 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
13 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
10–20%
14 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
15 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
16 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
5–10%
17 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
18 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
19 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
20 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
22 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
24 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
25 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
27 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
28 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
29 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
30 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
31 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
32 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
34 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
36 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
37 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
38 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
39 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
40 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
41 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
42 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
43 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
44 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
Insufficient data
45 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
46 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
47 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
48 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
49 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
50 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
Insufficient data
51 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
52 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
53 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
54 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Red-breasted Merganser in Channel Islands National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-breasted Merganser sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 719 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Red-breasted Merganser in Channel Islands National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Red-breasted Merganser in Channel Islands National Park in our monthly data.

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