[174] BIRDS OF OREGON 



young flutter down from their lofty perches without injury. The young 

 birds are light, fluffy, and exceedingly elastic, and even when coming 

 down from a tree 40 or 50 feet high apparently suffer no harm. Occa- 

 sionally observers have reported seeing the young carried to the water 

 in the beak of the parent birds, but this is certainly not the usual prac- 

 tice. Perhaps such a means of transportation is reserved for those living 

 in the topmost stories and apartments. 



We have no data on the food of this species while in Oregon waters, 

 but data from other territories do not indicate that its diet is greatly 

 different from that of other mergansers. It feeds on small fish, crustaceans, 

 and water insects and is not abundant enough to have any appreciable 

 effect on any valuable aquatic forms. 



American Merganser: 



Mergus merganser americanus Cassin 



DESCRIPTION. " Adult male: Head and short crest black glossed with green; shoulders 

 black; wing black, with white in middle; rump and tail gray; neck and sides white; 

 breast creamy white or pale salmon. Adult female: head, neck, and long thin crest 

 light brown; rest of upper parts bluish gray, except white patch on middle of wing; 

 chin and breast white." (Bailey) Downy young: "Downy young mergansers are 

 beautiful creatures; the upper parts, including the crown, down to the lores and 

 eyes, hind neck, and back, are rich, deep 'bister' or 'warm sepia,' relieved by the 

 white edging of the wing and a large white spot on each side of the rump; the sides 

 of the head and neck are 'mikado brown' or 'pecan brown,' shading off on the neck 

 to 'light vinaceous cinnamon' or 'buff pink'; a pure white stripe extends from the 

 lores to a point below the eyes and it is bordered above and below by dark brown 

 stripes; the rest of the lower parts are pure white." (Bent) Si%e: "Male, length 

 2.5-2.7, wing 10.50-11.2.5, bill i. 90-1.10. Female: length 11-14, w i n g 9-609.75, bill 

 1.80-1.00." (Bailey) Nest: In hollow trees or on the ground, eggs protected in 

 either case with down from the female's breast. Eggs: 6 to 17, usually 9 to n, 

 pale buffy. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds in Canada and northern States south to central Ver- 

 mont, New Hampshire, New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, and in 

 western mountain ranges south to northern New Mexico, Arizona, and central 

 California. In Oregon: Breeds on all larger streams. Winters throughout State on 

 all open waters. 



THE AMERICAN MERGANSER, or Goosander, widely known to sportsmen 

 and out-of-door people in Oregon as the "Fish Duck," or "Sawbill," was 

 first listed from Oregon by Townsend (1839) and since then has often been 

 mentioned from one part of the State or another. It is among the most 

 beautiful of Oregon waterfowl, and the big, handsomely marked males, 

 with their green heads and brilliant scarlet bills, are very conspicuous in 

 comparison with the much smaller, trimly built females, with their dainty 

 brownish-red crests. It is a permanent resident throughout the State on 

 all the larger lakes and streams that do not freeze over during the winter. 



