Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator

The breeding range of the Red-breasted Merganser covers most of Sweden, the species breeding both on coastal sites and on inland lakes from the south to the Scandinavian mountain chain.

During the winter it is mainly a marine species occurring especially along the open coasts of the country but is also seen in the archipelagos. The species is wide-spread and often seen far out at sea, mostly in small groups and is difficult to survey. The winter population in the country in normal years is probably between 5000 and 10000 for the Baltic and the Kattegatt with additional numbers wintering in Bohuslän on the west coast. It is found in the same areas during the autumn period. At the two country-wide surveys in 2004 and 2015 about 5000 were estimated to be present. These counts are certainly much below the actual numbers present as the species is difficult to count from the air.

Longterm midwinter indices showed a significantly increasing trend, whereas the September trend was slightly decreasing but significant.

The Swedish January indices do not show the marked decrease that is stated to occur in the Baltic Sea according to the newly published SOWBAS-report.

Småskrake januari 2015