32 Birds of Colorado 



Genus MERGUS. 



Bill about as long as the head, chiefly red, serrations acute, rec\u:ved, 

 claw-Uke; tarsus about two-thirds as long as middle toe; crest low and 

 flimsy ; head green or brown. 



Two species in the United States. 



American Merganser. Mergus americanus. 



A.O.U. CheckUst no 129— Colorado Records— Allen 72, p. 164; 

 Drew 85, p. 18 ; Beckham 85, p. 144 ; Morrison 89, p. 148 ; Cooke 97, 

 pp. 52, 194 ; 06, p. 19. 



Description. — Male — Head with its slight short crest, and upper- 

 neck glossy dark green ; upper-parts black, fading into ashy on the 

 riunp and tail ; wings white except the primaries, outer secondaries 

 and bases of the greater coverts, which are black ; below, including 

 the lower part of the neck all round, white marbled with dusky on the 

 flanks ; iris carmine, bill red, culmen and hook darker, legs deep red. 

 Length 26; wing 10-80; tail 4-75; culmen 2-10; tarsus 1-75. 



The female is smaller — wing about 10*0 ; head (with a crest slightly 

 longer than in the male) and neck rufous-brown, throat white, upper- 

 parts ashy ; white on the wings restricted to a few of the inner 

 secondaries and coverts ; below white ; iris yellowish, legs orange 

 with dusky webs. 



Distribution. — Breeding from south Alaska and Labrador south to 

 the northern tier of the United States and further south along the 

 mountain ranges to New Mexico and Pennsylvania ; south to winter 

 as far as the Gulf coasts and sovithern California. 



This bird in most comnion on migration in Colorado, chiefly in April, 

 but at the same time a good many winter especially along the South 

 Platte near Fort Morgan, and in the lakes near Denver; and a certain 

 number breed in summer in the mountains, though of this we have 

 only two definite statements — Allen saw a pair near Montgomery 

 at the head waters of the Platte, at about 1 1,500 feet in July, and Carter 

 states that it nests at Breckenridge. The only other definite record 

 is that of Beckham, who observes that it is comjnon in April on the 

 Arkansas at Pueblo. Warren informs me he has seen examples killed 

 on Deckers Lake near Crested Butte, about 9,000 feet, in the falL 



Habits. — These Ducks are usually found in pairs or 

 small family parties along rivers or on open lakes where 

 there is plenty of fish. These they pursue and catch 

 by diving, in which they are very expert. They are 

 hardly edible in consequence of their fish diet. The 



