Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 64,500,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 107,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | poor | estimated | 2016 |
| Population trend | stable | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 7.3 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.495,000-605,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2016). The European population is estimated at 70,100-120,000 pairs, which equates to 140,000-240,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015).
Trend justification: The overall population trend is stable, although some populations have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2016). This species has had stable population trends over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007). In Europe the population size is estimated to be decreasing at a rate approaching 30% in 21.9 years (three generations) (BirdLife International 2015).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Albania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Algeria | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Armenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bahamas | extant | native | ||||
| Bahrain | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Belgium | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belize | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bermuda (to UK) | extant | native | ||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | ||||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | ||||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cuba | extant | native | ||||
| Cyprus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Dominican Republic | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Egypt | extant | native | ||||
| Estonia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Finland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| France | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | |||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Haiti | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iceland | extant | native | yes | |||
| India | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iraq | extant | native | ||||
| Ireland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Israel | extant | native | ||||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | |||
| Japan | extant | native | ||||
| Jordan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kuwait | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Kyrgyzstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Latvia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Libya | extant | native | ||||
| Liechtenstein | extant | native | ||||
| Lithuania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Luxembourg | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Malta | extant | native | ||||
| Mexico | extant | native | ||||
| Moldova | extant | native | yes | |||
| Mongolia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | |||
| Morocco | extant | native | ||||
| Nepal | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Netherlands | extant | native | yes | |||
| North Korea | extant | native | ||||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Norway | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Oman | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Pakistan | extant | native | ||||
| Palestine | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Philippines | extant | uncertain | ||||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Portugal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Slovenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| South Korea | extant | native | ||||
| Spain | extant | native | yes | |||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sweden | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Switzerland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Syria | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| Taiwan, China | extant | native | ||||
| Tunisia | extant | native | ||||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | ||||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | extant | native | ||||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | vagrant | yes | |||
| United Kingdom | extant | native | yes | |||
| USA | extant | native | yes | |||
| Uzbekistan | extant | native | ||||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | extant | vagrant |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | major | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | major | breeding |
| Altitude | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Persecution/control | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/red-breasted-merganser-mergus-serrator on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.