🐦

Scaly-sided Merganser

Mergus squamatus

Endangered
Flügelspannweite
51,2 cm
Gewicht
1145,8 g
Familie
Anatidae
Ordnung
Anseriformes

Über uns

A medium-large merganser (~1.1 kg) in family Anatidae, distinguished by scaly flank patterning and a shaggy crest. Breeds along fast, clear rivers in old-growth forests of far eastern Russia and China; winters in rivers of East and Southeast Asia. Feeds on fish. Endangered due to deforestation, river pollution, and human disturbance of nesting sites.

Physical Description

Measurement Value Imperial
Flügelspannweite 51,2 cm 20.2 in
Gewicht 1145,8 g 40.42 oz

Identifizierung

Gefieder

Male has iridescent dark green head with long flat crest, white body with distinctive black scaly pattern on flanks, and black back with white patches. Female has brownish-red crested head and grey body with similar scaly flank pattern.

Habitat & Range

Geografisches Verbreitungsgebiet

Breeds in southern Russia, northern China, and the Russian Far East. Winters in southern China and Korea. Found on fast-flowing forested rivers.

Diet & Feeding

Dives for fish in fast-flowing East Asian rivers. Endangered; highly piscivorous with serrated bill adapted for catching slippery fish.

Erhaltungsstatus

Endangered
IUCN Red List

Verhalten & Brutverhalten

Nistverhalten

Nest type: CV,O. Incubation: 31-35 days. Fledging: 56 days.

Gelegegröße

4-14

Lautgebung

Gesang

Male gives a quiet, low grunting call; female produces a guttural, croaking series. Endangered; calls are poorly known; similar to Red-breasted Merganser but quieter in Manchurian forest rivers.

Taxonomie

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Ordnung Anseriformes (Wasservögel)
Familie Anatidae (Enten, Gänse und Schwäne)
Genus Mergus
Arten Mergus squamatus

Distribution

Scaly-sided Merganser has been recorded in 2 countries.

{# Distribution Map — simplified SVG world map with highlighted countries. Expects `country_codes` variable: list of ISO alpha-2 codes (e.g. ["US", "CA", "MX"]). Uses Alpine.js to toggle classes on country paths. #}
Vorhanden Not recorded
{# Simplified country/region shapes — major landmasses with ISO alpha-2 data attributes. These are simplified polygon representations for visual distribution display. #}

countries highlighted

External Databases

Häufig gestellte Fragen

What does the Scaly-sided Merganser eat?
Dives for fish in fast-flowing East Asian rivers. Endangered; highly piscivorous with serrated bill adapted for catching slippery fish.
Where does the Scaly-sided Merganser live?
Breeds in southern Russia, northern China, and the Russian Far East. Winters in southern China and Korea. Found on fast-flowing forested rivers.
Is the Scaly-sided Merganser endangered?
The Scaly-sided Merganser has a conservation status of Endangered.
How does the Scaly-sided Merganser nest?
Nest type: CV,O. Incubation: 31-35 days. Fledging: 56 days.
What does the Scaly-sided Merganser sound like?
Male gives a quiet, low grunting call; female produces a guttural, croaking series. Endangered; calls are poorly known; similar to Red-breasted Merganser but quieter in Manchurian forest rivers.
How big is the Scaly-sided Merganser?
The Scaly-sided Merganser has a wingspan of 51.2 cm, weight of 1145.8 g.
What order and family does the Scaly-sided Merganser belong to?
The Scaly-sided Merganser (Mergus squamatus) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.

Similar Birds

Other species in the Anatidae family

Vergleichen

Explore More

Explore the Nature FYI Family