The red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) is a diving duck, one of the sawbills.
The adult red-breasted merganser is 51 - 62 cm (20 - 24 in) long with a 70 - 86 cm (28 - 34 in) wingspan. It has a spiky crest and long thin red bill with serrated edges. The male has a dark head with a green sheen, a white neck with a rusty breast, a black back, and white underparts. Adult females have a rusty head and a greyish body. The juvenile is like the female, but lacks the white collar and has a smaller white wing patch.
The fastest duck ever recorded was a red-breasted merganser that attained a top airspeed of 100 mph while being pursued by an airplane. This eclipsed the previous speed record held by a canvasback clocked at 72 mph.
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