Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser swimming in the lake.
Red-breasted Merganser, Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Chicago, IL April 12, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/11; 1/800 sec.

This page is for the Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator). My first photographic evidence of a Red-breasted Merganser occurred on April 12, 2023 while I had some free time in Chicago after flying there for a conference so I went to a couple of bird sanctuaries on a beautiful spring day. At first I thought it was another Double-crested Cormorant as it was a bit distant from the shore, but upon zooming in, I was surprised by its true identity.

Red-breasted Merganser flying over open water.
Red-breasted Merganser, Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Chicago, IL April 12, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-400; f/10; 1/800 sec.
About 200 Red-breasted Mergansers taking flight from the lake.
Red-breasted Merganser, Lake Fort Gibson, Okay, OK, December 26, 2023
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-12,800; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Red-breasted Merganser swimming nearby.
Red-breasted Merganser, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 10, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-51,200; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Red-breasted Merganser about to eat a small fish it caught.
Red-breasted Merganser, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 11, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Male and female Red-breasted Mergansers swimming nearby.
Red-breasted Merganser, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 11, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Male and female Red-breasted Mergansers swimming nearby. The male is looking frazzled as it stares at the camera.
Red-breasted Merganser, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 11, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Female Red-breasted Merganser swimming nearby.
Red-breasted Merganser, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 11, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-640; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Female Red-breasted Merganser swimming nearby.
Red-breasted Merganser, Port Aransas, TX, February 23, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens; 420 mm; ISO-500; f/9; 1/1000 sec.
Two Red-breasted Mergansers swimming in an area near an area covered with water plants.
Red-breasted Merganser, Hofgarðar, Iceland, June 21, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 500; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Two Red-breasted Mergansers flying nearby.
Red-breasted Merganser, Hofgarðar, Iceland, June 21, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 500; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Red-breasted Merganser swimming in the rain.
Red-breasted Merganser, Rif-tjarnir, Iceland, June 21, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 800; f/10; 1/640 sec.
Red-breasted Merganser resting on a rocky shore.
Red-breasted Merganser, Snæfellsnesvegur, Iceland, June 22, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 16,000; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Red-breasted Merganser swimming near the far shore.
Red-breasted Merganser, Flatey Island, Iceland, June 23, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1000; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Red-breasted Merganser swimming near a point.
Red-breasted Merganser, Lake Vestmannsvatn, Iceland June 25, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1000; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Red-breasted Merganser swimming near several female and baby Common Eiders.
Red-breasted Merganser, Kópasker, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 800; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Red-breasted Merganser flying overhead.
Red-breasted Merganser, Kópasker, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 640; f/10; 1/1000 sec.