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Smew

Mergellus albellus

Least Concern

Envergadura

37,5 cm

Peso

658,75 g

Familia

Anatidae

Orden

Anseriformes

Acerca de

La serreta chica o smew es el más pequeño y quizás el más hermoso de los mergansos. El macho en plumaje nupcial es casi enteramente blanco con finas líneas negras y parches negros en la cara. La hembra tiene la cabeza castaña con las mejillas blancas y el cuerpo gris. Cría en bosques boreales de Europa y Asia, y pasa el invierno en lagos y ríos de Europa occidental.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Envergadura	37,5 cm	14.8 in
Peso	658,75 g	23.24 oz

Identificación

Plumaje

Male is largely white with black eye patch, black lines on back, and fine black lines on flanks creating a cracked-ice pattern. Female has chestnut-red head, white cheeks, and grey body.

Habitat & Range

🌲 Bosque 🏖️ Costero 🌿 Humedal 🌾 Pastizal

Distribución geográfica

Breeds in boreal forests of northern Europe and Siberia. Winters on large lakes and coasts from western Europe east to Japan and China.

Diet & Feeding

Dives for small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans in freshwater and coastal habitats. Uses serrated bill to grip slippery prey.

Estado de conservación

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Comportamiento y reproducción

Nidificación

Nest type: CV. Incubation: 26-28 days. Fledging: 70 days.

Tamaño de la puesta

5-11

Sonido

Canto

Male gives a soft, crow-like krr note; female produces a grating, rasping call. Both sexes are relatively quiet; the male's harsh, crow-like call is surprisingly low for such a small elegant duck.

Taxonomía

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Orden	Anseriformes (Aves Acuáticas)
Familia	Anatidae (Patos, Gansos y Cisnes)
Genus	Mergellus
Especies	Mergellus albellus

Distribution

Smew has been recorded in 5 countries.

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Presente Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Bélgica 🇩🇰 Dinamarca 🇳🇴 Noruega 🇸🇪 Suecia 🇹🇼 Taiwán

External Databases

Preguntas frecuentes

What does the Smew eat?

Dives for small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans in freshwater and coastal habitats. Uses serrated bill to grip slippery prey.

Where does the Smew live?

Breeds in boreal forests of northern Europe and Siberia. Winters on large lakes and coasts from western Europe east to Japan and China.

Is the Smew endangered?

The Smew has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Smew nest?

Nest type: CV. Incubation: 26-28 days. Fledging: 70 days.

What does the Smew sound like?

Male gives a soft, crow-like krr note; female produces a grating, rasping call. Both sexes are relatively quiet; the male's harsh, crow-like call is surprisingly low for such a small elegant duck.

How big is the Smew?

The Smew has a wingspan of 37.5 cm, weight of 658.75 g.

What order and family does the Smew belong to?

The Smew (Mergellus albellus) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.