Red-breasted merganser female (Mergus serrator)

Female red-breasted merganser popping up to the surface after a dive . G. Fletcher photos

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Merginae
Genus: Mergus
Species: M. serrator
Common name : Red-breasted Merganser

Mergansers nest in the fresh-water lakes of the north and then migrate to the Pacific Coastal waters where they feed on small forage fish in the winter. In the past  few weeks a large flock of female red-breasted and possibly mixed common mergansers has been working the waters off Taylor Beach.

They may be joined by males in the spring.