There are many varieties of ducks in nature. One of the largest is the merganser. It is a substantial duck, about the size of an average goose, with a crest and a sharp beak decorated with a number of serrations. This immediately indicates the bird’s feeding type, since such a device helps to capture and hold small fish, direct it into the throat and swallow it. Mergansers are a whole genus of waterfowl with common characteristics. There are two common species in Russia: scaly and long-nosed mergansers.
Origin and description of the merganser duck
This is a large diving duck, larger than the mallard and the most common member of the duck family. Mergansers are a separate genus of this family, which includes 4 currently living species and one that became extinct a century ago. All of these ducks are considered rare or very rare, but their total numbers currently do not cause concern among environmentalists. Related species also include lutki and crested mergansers.
Mergansers weigh from 900 grams (females) to more than 2 kilograms (males). Drakes are brightly colored, distinguished by a black head and back, and a dark gray part at the tail. The rest of the body is white with a subtle pinkish tinge. The duck is grayish-ashy above, white below, and its head is brownish-red.
The birds' beaks are orange-red, as are their paws. The edges of the beak are equipped with special serrations that help catch and hold slippery fish. From a distance, it seems that mergansers have beaks with teeth. Because of this, people often call the bird a bison, and due to its long neck and habit of eating fish, it is confused with a cormorant.
Habitat
This wild duck lives in northern European countries, Russia and America, as well as part of Japan. They prefer to choose the boundaries of wooded areas and stay close to water because they are waterfowl and feed mainly on fish, small invertebrates and crustaceans.
Different types ducks mergansers found in tundra and forest-tundra, as well as in mountainous areas, for example in the Alps or Scandinavian mountains.They migrate not to the tropics, but to the middle zone, without going south of the steppes and forest-steppes on the coast of the Black and Caspian Seas.
Merganser ducks are cautious birds, so they try to choose open bodies of water that are not overgrown with lush vegetation. To take off, they need a large expanse of water, so they cannot be found on small ponds, lakes and rivers.
What does it eat?
Diet ducks mergansers gourmets with delicate tastes may envy. These birds prefer to feed on fairly large fish, up to 25 centimeters in length. Among river fish, ducks choose trout and small salmon, as well as grayling, pike, roach, eels and many others. When located on sea coasts, in river estuaries and estuaries, they catch herring and other sea fish that are suitable for their size.
The following types of food are also consumed:
- Shellfish.
- Crustaceans.
- Insects.
- Worms and so on.
Hunting of merganser ducks looks original and unusual. First, they are half-immersed in the water, looking for prey, and then dive, helping themselves with their webbed paws, like flippers. It is because of this behavior of merganser ducks that they are often confused with cormorants.
Character and lifestyle of a duck
Mergansers are migratory or partially migratory birds. They go to warm countries for the winter in October and early November, but return to their homes early, already in February. When flying away, ducks form huge flocks numbering hundreds of individuals, and return in small groups of no more than two dozen birds. In warm weather and mild winters with little snow, most mergansers do not fly south at all.
Those populations that live in the southern regions undergo so-called vertical migration, moving over short distances.
These large birds are distinguished by their calm nature, but given the opportunity, ducks can stand up for themselves, because with their long red beak they not only successfully catch large fish, but are also able to pierce the durable shell of crayfish.
Social structure and reproduction
Sexual maturity in merganser ducks occurs at 2 years. The marriage ceremony is very beautiful and unusual. A male in a spectacular bright outfit performs an original dance in front of the chosen female. These ducks rarely form stable pairs. Usually the female incubates the clutch, and the drake does not take any part in the fate of the offspring. Most often, it simply disappears after the mating season is over. The female lays 8 to 12 white or cream-colored eggs. Nests are made in hollows; females choose the place for them, since males do not take any part in raising the offspring.
If there are no suitable hollow trees in the vicinity, ducks can make a nest in the rocks, but they try to avoid dense thickets and tall grass, since predators can easily sneak up on the nesting in them.
Females differ not only in color from males, but also in the length of the feathers on the back of their heads. They are thicker and shorter than those of drakes. During the nesting period, ducks pluck their own plumage - down from the breast, which is used to line the litter under the clutch.
At first, the ducklings are very similar in color to their mother, only covered with soft and delicate down. They stay in the nest for no more than 2 days, after which they become independent and swim well. They have a developed instinct of following, so you can often see the following picture: a merganser duck is swimming in the water, and behind it is a brood of fluffy ducklings lined up in a chain.
Natural enemies of merganser ducks
These ducks are large and strong enough to resist even larger opponents. They are armed with a sharp, long and strong beak, equipped with a jagged edge, dangerous like a saw. They can cause serious injuries.
Basically, the enemies of merganser ducks are people, but the following animals can also attack them:
- Foxes.
- Raccoon dogs.
- Domestic and feral dogs, if ducks dare to nest near villages and cities.
- Birds of prey - eagles, sea eagles, seagulls, crows and so on.
Smaller predators, such as mustelids or wild cats, cannot always cope with an adult duck, much less a drake. Most often they destroy nests, attack chicks or sick, wounded birds. Some reptiles can also attack the brood or clutch, and large fish can attack the ducks themselves, but this happens rarely.
Population and species status
Mergansers are a rare species and, in some countries, endangered. Their population is not yet in danger, as their numbers are considered stable. However, in a number of countries, merganser ducks are listed in the Red Book, for example, in Belarus and Lithuania. This is due to the fact that on the territory of these states the number of birds is small and is constantly decreasing.
The situation is also related to the type of population itself. If the birds lead a sedentary lifestyle, they face fewer dangers, and the number of mergansers remains stable. Migratory ducks are exposed to more dangers while moving from one place to another. Also, the biggest risk factor is human activity that destroys nature and the usual habitats of ducks.
