grand harle vs harle huppé

Mergus merganser compared with Mergus serrator

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	grand harle	harle huppé
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (oiseau)	Aves (oiseau)
Order same	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family same	Anatidae	Anatidae
Genus same	Mergus	Mergus
Species	Mergus merganser	Mergus serrator

Evolutionary Relationship

grand harle and harle huppé share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Mergus.

Conservation Status

grand harle

LC — Least Concern

harle huppé

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	grand harle	harle huppé
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

grand harle

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

harle huppé

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

grand harle

<em>Mergus merganser</em>, the common merganser or goosander, is a large diving duck in the family Anatidae, broadly distributed across Europe and North America. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is capable of aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic locomotion, but is most specialized for underwater pursuit of prey. The common merganser is typically piscivorous, diving in clear, fast-flowing rivers and lakes to catch fish using its serrated bill, which provides a firm grip on slippery prey. Males display striking breeding plumage with a dark green head, white body, and red bill, while females are grey with a rusty-brown head and crested nape. The species nests in tree cavities, cliff ledges, and artificial nest boxes near freshwater habitats. It requires clean, well-oxygenated rivers and lakes for foraging, making it sensitive to water quality degradation and overfishing of prey species. Common mergansers are migratory in northern parts of their range, moving to coastal and ice-free inland waters during winter months.

harle huppé

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States