RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 359 



AUTUMN AND JUVENILE PLUMAGE: Juveniles can always be distinguished from 

 the adults and juveniles of the American Merganser by features (c) and (d) above. 

 See "Descriptions." 



FEMALE. General effect: A small, brown-headed, grey-backed, white-breasted 

 duck. Chief features, (a), (b), (c) and (d) same as in male, (e) brownish head, 

 with straggly double-pointed crest, (f) brown of head merges imperceptibly into 

 whitish foreneck. 



The typical merganser bill will separate the female from all ducks of the 

 other subfamilies. In full plumage it is known from the female American Mer- 

 ganser by its less clearly defined white chin-patch, its lack of sharp demarcation 

 between colours of head and neck and by having a straggly double crest. In worn 

 or in immature plumage features (c) and (d) will identify. 



FIELD MARKS 



ON THE WATER. The appearance of the male, when sitting, is that of 

 a large, clipper-built duck; the black head, with straggly crest, is separated from 

 the brown chest by a distinct white collar. Males 

 are best recognized by their slim, rakish contour, 

 long thin head and sharp red bill. They dive with 

 the agility of grebes and in outline of head and 

 body resemble loons; when they are about to dive 

 the crest is always flattened down. The general 

 appearance is similar to that of the American 



Merganser but in that species the male lacks the crest, and has solid white chest 

 and sides. The drab Red-breasted female shows less crest than the female 

 American, has a paler brown head, the brown blending into the white of the neck 



instead of being clearly defined as in 



the other species. 



IN FLIGHT. The appearance of 

 the male, on the wing, is best described 

 by comparison with the American Mer- 

 ganser; it has the same style of flight 

 but can be told from that species by 

 showing much less white of wing and 

 body; the reddish-brown chest-band is 

 easily seen. The female is very like 

 the female American, but the clearly- 

 defined white neck-line of the latter show r s up remarkably in flight and serves, to 

 distinguish it. 



VOICE. A very silent bird, uttering an occasional hoarse croak. The courtship 

 voice of the male is a rough double note, da-ah; the female responds with a 

 rasping croak; the voice of the female with young is a low, distinct but husky, 

 kha-kha-kha. Courtship voice of drake is "a thin, rasping, metallic sound, with a 

 timbre something like that of the American Golden-eye's 'peep-peep,' but with 

 less volume. Audible only a short distance. Unequally divided into 2 or 3 parts, 



as , or . Sometimes the last part is audible when the short note is 



not." (From field notes of Dr. Harrison F. Lewis.) 



