Please help identify - just found in road

[sgtmom52]

Young Common Mergansers leave their nests within a day or so of hatching. The mother protects the chicks, but she does not feed them—they dive to catch all of their own food. Chicks eat mostly aquatic insects at first, but switch over to fish when they are about 12 days old.​

 

[Ruth Eggnis]

Quote:
WOW - VERY CLOSE!!! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH, WILL CONTACT IN THE MORNING!!!

 

[cogorman]

You might want to contact the wildlife office in your area. Being a waterfowl that is federally regulated, mergansers might have some laws restricting who can keep them legally. Not sure, but if you can't keep it they will direct you to someone with a permit who can.

 

[Ruth Eggnis]

Update on our little houseguest - it is def a common merganser. He was alert & spunky this morning. Just took him to a girl who will care for him a few weeks then he'll go to a sanctuary/rehab down by Albany where he'll get introduced to his kind to learn to fish & swim. She said I am welcome to check in on him which I may just do!

 

[sparkles2307]

O good! I love watching the hooded mergansers around our place, they are so energetic!

 

[LeBlackbird]

Yah, mersenger http://www.avianweb.com/images/birds/Ducks/CommonMerganserfemalewithchicks.jpg

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
I think you did just the right thing!

He'll have the best chance of survival now. (But maybe you should go get those feedstore ducks just so you have something to cuddle

)

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Quote:
Ha ha ha. ....my guess its a duck. .go ti your local feed store and get food

 

[newchickmom09]

Quote:
I think you did just the right thing!

He'll have the best chance of survival now. (But maybe you should go get those feedstore ducks just so you have something to cuddle

)

I agree.

 

[PineappleMama]

Googled that Common Merganser and take a gander at this...

Looks like a winner to my untrained eyeballs.