Summary

  • Natural history: Although Red-breasted Mergansers will nest beside freshwater lakes and ponds, most breeding populations stick close to seacoasts, which may help explain why Vermont has documented only a couple of nesting attempts, including a single nest hidden in tall grass under a serviceberry shrub on Rock Island in St. Albans Bay. Because females are difficult to tell apart from the far more common female Common Merganser, some sighting records carry real uncertainty, and biologists don’t expect Vermont to ever host more than an occasional breeding pair.
  • Status in VT: Increased by 200% (1 to 3 blocks). Increase occurred in the Champlain Valley.
  • Data from other research: No additional data for VT.
  • Conservation status: State rank S1B
  • Other atlases: NY: 43%; ON: no sig. change
  • VT’s role in North American range: VT is at the extreme southeastern edge of the range.
  • Causes of change since first Atlas: Unknown. Boreal species with sporadic nesting.
  • Management/Monitoring recommendations:No current recommendations.

First Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas (1976-1981)

Species Account

Second Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas (2003 – 2007)

Species Account

Red-breasted Merganser Map 1Red-breasted Merganser Table 1Red-breasted Merganser Table 2

Change in Distribution

mapkeyRed-breasted Merganser Map 2Red-breasted Merganser Table 3

Links

Vermont eBird

Encyclopedia of Life

All About Birds