WhenToBird

Mergus serrator · Anatidae

When Do Red-breasted Mergansers Arrive in Georgia?

Adult male Red-breasted Merganser
Photo: Peter Chen 2.0, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Red-breasted Mergansers are winter birds in Georgia: they arrive in the second week of November, peak in the second week of December (1.2% of checklists), and most are gone by mid April.

When to look

First arrivalsNov 8-14the second week of November
Common byNov 8-14the second week of November
PeakDec 8-14the second week of December
Most gone byApr 15-21mid April

Best: the second week of December. First arrivals the second week of November; most are gone by mid April. Peak: on about 1.2% of Georgia checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprcommon
  5. Mayuncommon
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Sepnot usually seen
  10. Octnot usually seen
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%0.5%1%1.5%Jan 1-7: 0.8% of 22238 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.6% of 16390 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.5% of 16779 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.6% of 22964 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.5% of 16870 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.5% of 19486 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.5% of 28540 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.5% of 17005 checklistsMar 1-7: 1.0% of 15920 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.9% of 16274 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.9% of 16432 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.9% of 25318 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.5% of 19292 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.4% of 19742 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.3% of 21498 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.3% of 29736 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.2% of 20858 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.1% of 20346 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 15859 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 19867 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 13467 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 12812 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.1% of 11379 checklistsJun 22-30: 0% of 14121 checklistsJul 1-7: 0% of 11176 checklistsJul 8-14: 0% of 10695 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 10655 checklistsJul 22-31: 0% of 15106 checklistsAug 1-7: 0% of 10650 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.1% of 10247 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.1% of 10371 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.1% of 15203 checklistsSep 1-7: 0% of 13007 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.1% of 12541 checklistsSep 15-21: 0% of 12943 checklistsSep 22-30: 0% of 17655 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.1% of 14646 checklistsOct 8-14: 0% of 15836 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.1% of 13124 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.1% of 15859 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.1% of 11711 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.4% of 11587 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.6% of 12025 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.0% of 16431 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.4% of 11256 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.1% of 11967 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.1% of 15618 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.7% of 22453 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Georgia that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Georgia

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Hart CountyBest early January · 32 checklists that week, 1,457 in all14%
  2. Liberty CountyBest early February · 39 checklists that week, 2,209 in all12%
  3. Troup CountyBest late November · 143 checklists that week, 3,539 in all12%
  4. Douglas CountyBest the second week of March · 46 checklists that week, 3,301 in all8.5%
  5. Newton CountyBest the second week of December · 56 checklists that week, 3,416 in all6.8%
  6. Camden CountyBest the second week of December · 210 checklists that week, 10,650 in all6.5%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Hartwell Recreation Area (northwest)Hart County, best late December · 20 checklists that week, 118 in all39%
  2. Savannah Rapids PavilionColumbia County, best late March · 20 checklists that week, 229 in all29%
  3. Lake Sidney Lanier (Baldridge Creek)Gwinnett County, best early December · 20 checklists that week, 238 in all28%
  4. Hardley Creek Recreation AreaTroup County, best mid November · 46 checklists that week, 947 in all25%
  5. St. Catherine's Island (north)Liberty County, best mid December · 41 checklists that week, 162 in all22%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Georgia, the Red-breasted Merganser is most often listed on checklists started between 2 and 4 pm (0.5% of those checklists).

0%0.5%1%12 am: too few checklists (334) to judge1 am: too few checklists (277) to judge2 am: too few checklists (264) to judge3 am: too few checklists (282) to judge4 am: too few checklists (463) to judge5 am: too few checklists (1513) to judge6 am: 0.2% of 16790 checklists7 am: 0.3% of 73569 checklists8 am: 0.3% of 104956 checklists9 am: 0.4% of 96241 checklists10 am: 0.4% of 81903 checklists11 am: 0.4% of 66236 checklists12 pm: 0.4% of 56159 checklists1 pm: 0.5% of 48260 checklists2 pm: 0.5% of 46435 checklists3 pm: 0.5% of 46015 checklists4 pm: 0.5% of 47438 checklists5 pm: 0.3% of 38866 checklists6 pm: 0.2% of 26032 checklists7 pm: 0.1% of 16610 checklists8 pm: too few checklists (5490) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (995) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (517) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (310) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January0.8%0.6%0.5%0.6%
February0.5%0.5%0.5%0.5%
March1.0%0.9%0.9%0.9%
April0.5%0.4%0.3%0.3%
May0.2%0.1%0.1%0.1%
June0.1%0.1%0.1%0%
July0%0%0.1%0%
August0%0.1%0.1%0.1%
September0%0.1%0%0%
October0.1%0%0.1%0.1%
November0.1%0.4%0.6%1.0%
December1.4%1.1%1.1%0.7%

Neighboring states

  • South Carolina: arrives mid November, 1 week later than Georgia
  • Alabama: arrives mid November, 1 week later than Georgia
  • Tennessee: arrives early November, 1 week earlier than Georgia
  • North Carolina: arrives mid November, 1 week later than Georgia

Common questions

When do Red-breasted Mergansers arrive in Georgia?
Red-breasted Mergansers are winter birds in Georgia: they arrive in the second week of November, peak in the second week of December (1.2% of checklists), and most are gone by mid April.
When do Red-breasted Mergansers leave Georgia?
Most Red-breasted Mergansers have left Georgia by mid April, when reports fall below half their usual rate.
When is the best time to see a Red-breasted Merganser in Georgia?
The Red-breasted Merganser is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 1.2% of Georgia checklists.
Where in Georgia are Red-breasted Mergansers seen most often?
By county, Hart County, Liberty County, and Troup County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Red-breasted Merganser (counties with at least 200 checklists).