Male Red-breasted Merganser, a diving duck known for its shaggy green crest and bright red eyes. The bird is a male (drake) Red-breasted Merganser, identifiable by its distinct breeding plumage. Males are larger than females. A dark, iridescent green-black head with a shaggy, spiky crest. Striking bright red eyes and a long, narrow red bill with a black tip. A prominent white neck band that separates the dark head from the reddish-brown, streaked breast. A white patch visible on the inner wing area. Red-breasted Mergansers are diving ducks that use their specialized, serrated bills to grasp small fish. Their legs are positioned towards the rear of their body, which aids in diving but makes walking on land difficult. They are among the fastest flying ducks, capable of speeds up to 81 miles per hour. The photo uses a shallow depth of field to keep the bird's head in sharp focus, while the rippling water in the background is softly blurred. The lighting highlights the texture of the wet feathers and the vibrant color of the eye.

The shaggy, spiky crest suggests that "not every day needs to be a good hair day". 🪶🌿🦉🦆🍁

#WokeUpLikeThis #Birds #Sawbill #OhMyDouglas #QuackHairDontCare #FeelingMerganserful #ColonelSamSmithSighting #DuckDiving #ShaggyCrest #Wildlife #Art #Photography

Female goosander
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#goosander #ducks #sawbill #birds #nature #wildlife #UKbirds #UKnature #YorkshireBirders #outdoorphotography #photographyismytherapy #rspb #rspblovenature #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersofBluesky

#Koskla (Koskel)
#Tallinn #Kristiine #Lilleküla #Linnu #Mooni
#Sawbill, large ducks with serrated bill for catching fish: jääkoskel, common #goosander, gulaund or goosander, #MergusMerganser; kübarkoskel, hooded merganser, #LophodytesCucullatus; rohukoskel, red-breasted merganser, #MSerrator;
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A male Goosander at Draycote Water in Warwickshire. This is a sawbill diving duck, about the same size as a Mallard. His breast and belly are creamy white, his back is black, and his head is black with a dark bottle green tinge. His red bill is long, sharp, and serrated, and his legs and feet are orangey red.

A pair of Goosanders at Draycote Water in Warwickshire. They are sawbill diving ducks, about the same size as a Mallard. The male's breast and belly are creamy white, his back is black, and his head is black with a dark bottle green tinge. His red bill is long, sharp, and serrated, and his legs and feet are orangey red. The female, who is laying submissively alongside her partner with her chin resting on the water, is primarily mottled in shades of pale grey. Her head is chestnut brown, with shaggy plumage at the crown, and her bill, legs, and feet are pinky red.

Smug:
www.blipfoto.com/entry/335205...

#birds #UKBirds #BritishBirds #birding #duck #DivingDuck #sawbill #goosander #MergusMerganser #DraycoteWater #UKWildlife #NaturePhotography #NatureWriting 🪶

A female Goosander (sometimes called a Common Merganser) flying low over a lake with her wings raised almost vertically. She's a large saw-billed duck, with mottled grey plumage on her back and overwings, a peachy-cream belly, and a russet brown head that ends sharply at a pale collar. She has long, shaggy russet plumes at the back of her head, and a white chin patch. Her long thin bill and her legs and feet are red.

Ducking out:
www.blipfoto.com/entry/334843...

#birds #UKBirds #BritishBirds #birding #duck #sawbill #goosander #MergusMerganser #MallardMonday #CharlecotePark #NationalTrust #UKWildlife #NaturePhotography #NatureWriting 🪶

White and black water bird with dark green head and thin red bill swimming.

Common name: Goosander.

Scientific name: Mergus merganser.

Family: Anatidae (Ducks, geese and swans).

Location: River Derwent, Derby

Date: 12 January 2024.

First time seeing and photographing this species!

#birds #sawbill #FirstTime #duck