Common Merganser v Mallard

Though most of the green-headed ducks in this area are (male) Mallards, there are also some of these (male) Common Mergansers around too, especially in winter. While the Mallard is a decent-sized duck, the Common Merganser is noticeably bigger if you see them together. The CM is also mostly white below the neck, though there's also a dark area on the back (which can blend in with the water). The CM generally has a taller, sleeker look to them.

And of course the females look different in both species; I'll show them in a future post.

March 11, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 186585633, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

March 11, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 186585608, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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