The Red-breasted Merganser has a wide distribution in North America, from Alaska to the Maritime Provinces, and is known to breed at high latitudes as far up to 75 degrees North. Its population status and size are difficult to determine accurately due to the remoteness of parts of its breeding range, its habit of nesting in tree cavities and because the three merganser species cannot be distinguished during most fixed-wings aerial surveys. Both short- and long-term trends for this species appear to be increasing. Overall, mergansers are not heavily harvested by hunters, and the Red-breasted Merganser is the least harvested of the three species found in Canada. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The ecology of the Red-breasted Merganser is not well known throughout its North American range and has received little attention. This species is not well monitored, is not a popular game bird among hunters, and the continental harvest is not well estimated. In Canada, they are hunted predominantly in the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec and Ontario. The lack of a reliable survey for this species could hamper conservation efforts in the future.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
