portions of the state (Map 31). Howell (1932) noted their presence in Florida 

 from 10 October (St. Marks NWR) to mid-June; the species has since been re- 

 ported in July (Ogden 1975). Red-breasted Mergansers are now abundant and wide- 

 spread along both coasts of Florida in bays and open water the length of the 

 state (Kale 1979 ms a, 1979 ms b) , but they are more abundant along the Gulf 

 coast (Palmer 1976b, Map 31). Eleven Christmas Counts taken along the Atlantic 

 coast in 1977 totalled about 1,200 Red-breasted Mergansers (Kale 1979 ms a), 

 while sixteen Counts along the Gulf coast totalled nearly 4,500 (Kale 1979 ms 

 b) . Flocks ranged in size from a few to more than 100 birds (Kale 1979 ms a, 

 1979 ms b) . One concentration near St. Marks NWR was estimated at 1,500 birds 

 (Stevenson 1976). The Florida winter population was placed at 6,300 by Bell- 

 rose (1976). 



Alabama Red-breasted Mergansers are abundant along the coast of Alabama 

 in winter and on migration, and they are fairly common inland. They may be pre- 

 sent along the Gulf throughout the year but are most abundant from 18 October 

 to 16 May. A maximum concentration of 2,850 Red-breasted Mergansers was seen 

 at Fort Morgan Peninsula, 27 December 1947. They occur casually inland during 

 the summer but are not known to nest in Alabama (Imhof 1976b). 



Mississippi The Red-breasted Merganser was the only duck seen every month 

 of the year on the Mississippi coast by Burleigh (1944). The species is abun- 

 dant from December to March, and flocks of ten or more birds are seen frequent- 

 ly. Scattered individuals are observed throughout the summer (Burleigh 1944, 

 Jackson and Cooley 1978b); Burleigh noticed that these non-breeders are all in 

 first year plumage. 



Louisiana This duck is moderately common in Louisiana from the last part 

 of October until the end of April. A few may remain into the summer. They are 

 particularly common in Barataria and Vermilion bays, in Lake Borgne, and in 

 Chandeleur Sound. Red-breasted Mergansers occur primarily on the coastal water- 

 ways of Louisiana and are much less common inland (Lowery 1974). Bellrose 

 (1976) reported winter populations of 10,000 birds in Louisiana bays. 



Texas The Red-breasted Merganser is a winter visitor in Texas from Novem- 

 ber to May (extremes, 18 September to 28 May); casual summer lingerers have been 

 reported. This merganser is irregularly very common to fairly common on the up- 

 per Texas coast, common to uncommon on the central and lower coast, and uncommon 

 to rare and irregular over the rest of the state (Oberholser 1974). Bellrose 

 (1976) remarked that about 98% of the 1,200 Red-breasted Mergansers found on 

 winter surveys of the Central Flyway are found on the Texas coast. 



SYNOPSIS OF PRESENT DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE 



Breeding The Red-breasted Merganser breeds in the Western Hemisphere from 

 the Aleutian Islands and the Arctic coast of Alaska east to the western shore 

 of Hudson Bay and southeastern Baffin Island, and south to northwestern Brit- 

 ish Columbia, central Saskatchewan, the northern Great Lakes States, and the 

 Maritime Provinces (Bellrose 1976, Palmer 1976b). There are scattered reports 

 of casual breeding well south of this area but the validity of at least some 

 of these is doubtful. 



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