Preening Common Merganser – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Sometimes I wonder how birds get their names, especially the birds with “Common” in their names such as Common Mergansers.
In North America we have three mergansers which are species of diving ducks with long, slender bills that have serrated edges that are used for grasping and holding their prey. The three species are Hooded, Red-breasted and Common Mergansers.
Drake Red-breasted Merganser in breeding plumage – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Male Red-breasted Mergansers do get a reddish breast during the breeding season so I can almost see why they were named what they were named. I think it is a wee bit sexist to name a species after a feature that only the males have for about six months of the year, but at least the name does make sense on a certain level.
Drake Hooded Merganser with a Weather Loach in his bill – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Both male and female Hooded Mergansers have crests, the females are cinnamon brown and during the breeding season the crest of the males are a strikingly flamboyant black and white that is hard to miss. I’m not sure why this species wasn’t named “Crested Merganser” instead of Hooded Merganser but maybe that is because the “crest” moves up and down like a hood. At least both sexes have the crested hood.
Drake Common Merganser in flight in evening light – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
And then there are the Common Mergansers. Male Common Mergansers have greenish-black heads, white bodies and black backs in breeding plumage. Females have gray bodies and white underparts with cinnamon colored heads with shaggy crests. So why not White-breasted Mergansers instead of Common Mergansers since both sexes show that feature?
“Common” sounds mundane, pedestrian and ordinary, so ordinary that the word “common” can feel like it has negative connotations. Common Mergansers are far from ordinary and I wish they had a name that highlights how fantastic they actually are.
The things that make me go “Hmmm” in the early hours of the morning.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Common Merganser photos plus facts and information about this species.
Good question and beautiful and informative post! Some names are very descriptive and some are sexist, such as the Chuck-wills-widow (although maybe it is more about Chuck than his widow). Common Nighthawks are becoming much less common and they are not hawks (though they do hawk down mosquitoes). I thought curlews were named after their long curved bills but some have short bills. I found out that “curlew” is actually an imitation of its call, as are Killdeer and chickadee, Chukar… (and Chuck)..
I love the fact you took time to describe all three types of mergansers and supplied the pictures pointing out the differences. You left yourself open to all kinds of comments. I love that vulnerability in you. You truly share yourself with us. Your photos are a wonderful daily complement, also much loved.
Those responsible for naming birds often strike me as uncommonly lacking in imagination.
Our Magpie is different to your Magpie, and both are different to the European Magpie. Ours isn’t even a member of the corvid family (though they are still cheeky charmers).
“ Common “ probably refers to the region of the guy that named them. White-Tailed Kites are pretty common around here, but looking at their range , much of the U.S. never sees them
What if we changed it to The Uncommon Merganser? Much more excitement about that. “Look! The Uncommon Merganser!” There’s nothing common about any bird anyway, even the common ones. Thank you for you middle of the night missive. We have Uncommon Mergansers on the river this morning!
Another interesting post. At least for me.
We don’t have them in Southern Europe.
Yup, I agree also, poor name for this merganser! When it came to name this bird they must have seen so many of them it was given the name Common. Still think it is a poor name!
I agree with you that there is nothing common about Common Mergansers…..or Common Goldeneyes or Common Grackles. It’s almost as if they ran out of names. As if…!!