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Red-breasted mergansers fighting over food, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 2014.

Of the mergansers, only the red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) is common at sea. Although they are technically seaducks, most mergansers prefer riverine habitats. All mergansers have serraged edges to their long, thin bills which earned these species the nickname 'sawbill'. They are also classified as 'divers' because they will go completely underwater when looking for food. Amazingly, the fastest duck ever recorded was a red-breasted merganser that attained a top airspeed of 100mph (sadly, this was recorded while being pursued by a plane). Previously, the record had been held by a canvasback clocked at 72mph.

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Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Code: CUVA

National Park Service Facebook Photos

Title: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
URL: https://www.facebook.com/CuyahogaValleyNationalPark?fref=ts

20140218

02/18/2014

Public Can View

Organization: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Address: 1550 Boston Mills Road, Peninsula, OH 44264

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