Merganser Ducks
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Mergus is a genus of ducks in the seaduck subfamily Merginae.
Although they are seaducks, most of the mergansers prefer riverine habitats, only Red-breasted Merganser being common on the sea. These large fish-eaters have serrated edges to their bills to help them grip their prey. Along with the Smew and Hooded Merganser, they are therefore often known as "sawbills".
Species
- Auckland Islands Merganser, Mergus australis extinct
- Common Merganser, Mergus merganser
- Chinese Merganser, Mergus squamatu: The Chinese Merganser, or Scaly-sided Merganser, is a typical merganser. This is a striking duck with a shaggy crest and scaled flanks. The adult male has a black head and neck with a long crest, white breast and underparts, and blackish mantle with white innerwings. The female has a buffish head and a wispy crest. Their breeding habitat is rivers in primary forest in south-east Russia, North Korea and north-east China. They are migratory, wintering in central and southern China, with small numbers in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, northern Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand. This species is endangered. Numbers reduced in the 1960s and 1970s due to alterations to primary forests along major rivers. Current threats included illegal hunting, entanglement in fishing nets and river pollution.
- Brazilian Merganser, Mergus octosetaceus: The Brazilian Merganser is a typical merganser. This is a dark, slender duck with a long crest. It has a dark hood with petroleum-green sheen, a pale grey breast and dark grey upperparts. It has a long, bushy hindcrest usually worn and shorter in females. Their breeding habitat is shallow, fast-flowing rivers in south-central Brazil. They nest in tree-cavities and possibly rock-cavities. They mainly eat fish, small eels, insect larvae, dobson flies (Corydalis sp.) and snails. This species is critically endangered. Numbers have reduced due to polluted rivers caused by forest clearance and agriculture. The current population is estimated at less than 250.
- Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org.
Diet / Feeding:
Ducks generally feed on larvae and pupae usually found under rocks, aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, small fish, snails and crabs.
Feeding Ducks ...
We all enjoy ducks and many of us offer them food to encourage them to come over and stay around - and it works! Who doesn't like an easy meal!
However, the foods that we traditionally feed them at local ponds are utterly unsuitable for them and are likely to cause health problems down the road. Also, there may be local laws against feeding this species of bird - so it's best to check on that rather than facing consequences at a later stage.
- Click here to find out which foods to feed them that will offer the nutrition they need to survive a cold winter and remain healthy
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