Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)
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BirdsIn Summit County, Ohio

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser Linnaeus, 1758

Common Merganser in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Family
Anatidae
Genus
Mergus

Conservation status

Of special interest in Ohio (Ohio Division of Wildlife, June 2026)

Ohio's Division of Wildlife names it as one at the edge of its range in Ohio, breeding here at low numbers. It is not listed as endangered or threatened.

Near Summit County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 45. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (18)
  • Within its mapped range (22)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (44)
  • Recorded, season not shown (4)
  • Season shown (0)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Range: USGS Gap Analysis Project, Species Range Maps CONUS_2001 (2018). Show as a table
Counties as a table
Common Merganser by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecordsIn mapped range
Adams CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Ashland CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Athens CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Auglaize CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Brown CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Butler CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Champaign CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Clark CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Coshocton CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Crawford CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Cuyahoga County89 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Defiance CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Delaware CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Franklin CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Gallia CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Greene CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Guernsey CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Hamilton CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Hardin CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Henry CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Hocking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Holmes CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Lake County36 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Logan CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Lorain County34 · Recorded, season not shownYes: winter
Lucas CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Mahoning CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Mercer CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Miami CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Monroe CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Morgan CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Morrow CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Perry CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Pickaway CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Portage CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Preble CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Sandusky CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Scioto CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Stark CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Summit County91 · Recorded, season not shownNo
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Union CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Vinton CountyNo qualifying records yetNo
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultNo
Williams CountyNo qualifying records yetYes: winter
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a resultYes: winter

Season

When it is recorded

In Summit County

Recorded all year

Recorded through most of the year, so there is no single season to show. Based on 91 records in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Summit County · records of all species each week, 106,876 in all

Records per week from 91 records in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Common Merganser in Summit County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Common MerganserYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1011711
Jan 11–1711665
Jan 18–2411601
Jan 25–3153526
Feb 1–733608
Feb 8–1422619
Feb 15–2173629
Feb 22–2865748
Mar 1–7106728
Mar 8–1464852
Mar 15–21321,055
Mar 22–28331,007
Mar 29 – Apr 4441,005
Apr 5–11311,654
Apr 12–18322,454
Apr 19–25112,699
Apr 26 – May 2113,970
May 3–9003,569
May 10–16644,053
May 17–23003,509
May 24–30324,045
May 31 – Jun 6002,874
Jun 7–13003,158
Jun 14–20113,796
Jun 21–27003,501
Jun 28 – Jul 4113,968
Jul 5–11003,632
Jul 12–18114,051
Jul 19–25113,855
Jul 26 – Aug 1112,908
Aug 2–8113,828
Aug 9–15113,583
Aug 16–22003,535
Aug 23–29002,939
Aug 30 – Sep 5002,840
Sep 6–12002,758
Sep 13–19112,761
Sep 20–26002,646
Sep 27 – Oct 3112,089
Oct 4–10612,317
Oct 11–17111,944
Oct 18–24221,314
Oct 25–31001,272
Nov 1–700786
Nov 8–1400761
Nov 15–2100654
Nov 22–2811703
Nov 29 – Dec 500503
Dec 6–1211447
Dec 13–1911496
Dec 20–2611522
Dec 27 – Jan 200728

In Ohio

Recorded all year

Recorded through most of the year, so there is no single season to show. Based on 590 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 590 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Common Merganser in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Common MerganserYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–102066,211
Jan 11–171045,146
Jan 18–242284,645
Jan 25–311354,698
Feb 1–72276,023
Feb 8–142475,888
Feb 15–212685,436
Feb 22–282796,846
Mar 1–74468,321
Mar 8–1421710,384
Mar 15–2118712,620
Mar 22–2811513,949
Mar 29 – Apr 422819,661
Apr 5–1114426,860
Apr 12–1812539,925
Apr 19–2518541,623
Apr 26 – May 214556,391
May 3–96352,952
May 10–1613653,785
May 17–237557,698
May 24–3010454,651
May 31 – Jun 69353,099
Jun 7–138553,700
Jun 14–207456,625
Jun 21–274455,361
Jun 28 – Jul 47458,477
Jul 5–115461,336
Jul 12–186464,722
Jul 19–254469,753
Jul 26 – Aug 13359,416
Aug 2–86459,712
Aug 9–157555,994
Aug 16–225354,328
Aug 23–295451,772
Aug 30 – Sep 56557,167
Sep 6–123259,075
Sep 13–195354,543
Sep 20–267445,860
Sep 27 – Oct 313643,180
Oct 4–1020737,841
Oct 11–1717630,824
Oct 18–243321,156
Oct 25–312119,021
Nov 1–74414,172
Nov 8–144312,621
Nov 15–21547,965
Nov 22–28648,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5446,083
Dec 6–121266,004
Dec 13–19735,423
Dec 20–26755,661
Dec 27 – Jan 21588,459

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Relatives

In the same genus

Other Mergus recorded in Summit County

Identification

How to identify it

Telling it apart

From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.

Often confused with

  • Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serratorOften confused in Ohio: 16 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatusOften confused in Ohio: 15 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos182 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula152 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Common Loon Gavia immer92 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Open water44%3%
Developed24%49%
Forest19%31%
Wetland8%5%
Farmland3%11%
Grassland and shrub2%0.9%
Barren0.4%0.6%

From 242 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Finer identifications

Some Ohio records of this species were identified to a subspecies:

  • Mergus merganser americanusCommon Merganser (North American)subspecies

Every one of these records counts toward the Common Merganser's season above.

Why some records go further than species

Many species vary from place to place. Groups of a species that look or sound a little different, and live in different areas, can be named as subspecies. Observers and experts only identify a record that far when it shows enough detail to tell them apart. Records without that detail count at the species level.

Names: Catalogue of Life.

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

590 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.