male	male female European distribution males

Identification

If Mergansers look scruffy then Goosanders look immaculate, especially the males, their big bodies entirely cream-coloured apart from a neat black line across the back and the contrasting black-looking head. Females might be mistaken for red-head Mergansers but see how the rich chestnut colour on the head ends abruptly at the neck and contrasts neatly with the pale chest. Also, the white wing panel lacks a dark line through it and the bill distinctively droops down at the tip instead of being swept up. The crest can look shaggy but a neatly hanging mane is more typical. In flight Goosanders have similar wing markings to Mergansers but the male Goosander has much more white on his body and the female lacks the dark line through the pale wing panel.

Habitat

Breeds on the shores of wooded lochs and rivers. Winters on reservoirs, lakes and occasionally estuaries.

Migration

Migratory to partially migratory. Icelandic and Alpine birds don't appear to migrate at all while British birds move to more sheltered locations during the winter. Birds from northern Scandinavia, however, move south for the winter. Most of the males in the European population migrate in July and August to North Norway to moult

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Goosander is classed as Common: common species, including species that are certain or probable escapees from captivity when occurring in the British Isles. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Hogganfield Loch, Clyde 08/02/2010	Hogganfield Loch, Clyde 08/02/2010	Sparham GPs, Norfolk 30/01/2010	undisc. site, Gwynedd 06/02/2010	undisc. site, Gwynedd 06/02/2010
undisc. site, Gwynedd 06/02/2010	undisc. site, Gwynedd 06/02/2010	undisc. site, Gwynedd 06/02/2010	Swanton Morley GPs, Norfolk 06/02/2010	undisc. site, Gwynedd 06/02/2010

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Goosander breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Austria
Belarus
Britain
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Romania
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine

http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob2230.htm   BTO BirdFacts: Goosander	Edit this link
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	Tricky Sawbills	Friday 2nd December 2005
	Drake Red-breasted Mergansers and Goosanders present few problems at close range, but just how do you separate those tricky redheads?

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