Date: 12/1/25 10:50 pm From: Eric Ellingson via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Action. Common Mergansers eating Kokanee salmon
Tis the season for the Kokanee to be spawning up small streams from lakes just like their relatives, Sockeye salmon. Kokanee and sockeye salmon are the same species, but kokanee never make the journey to the ocean. They spend their entire lives in lakes, migrating to tributary streams to spawn in the fall. What does this have to do with birds? The Kokanee get eaten by Common Mergansers, Bald Eagles, Gulls, and their eggs get eaten by Bufflehead and American Dippers. As the Kokanee concentrate in shallow waters they can easily become prey to many others.
Like other birds that catch & eat fish, the fish needs to go down the throat head first. So the real action begins after a merganser catches one & brings it to the surface. Gulls & other mergansers will chase it trying to steal the food out of their mouth. So if they grab it by the tail, they have to maneuver it around to get it in its mouth going head first before it is stolen or dropped. I've seen both happen.
FYI: These birds are VERY skittish. The slightest disturbance and especially one's presence sends them rapidly flying off. It can take 30-60 minutes for them to return IF they feel the coast is clear. I hope you enjoy these. Many hours were spent sitting low on the ground out of sight waiting for them to return, then a couple hours to catch the action. More later. Cheers
