Scaly-sided Merganser
Mergus squamatus
The Scaly-sided Merganser (Mergus squamatus) is a rare ducks, swans, and geese found in 6 countries, weighing about 1.2 kg. The scaly-sided merganser or Chinese merganser is an endangered typical merganser.
About the Scaly-sided Merganser
The scaly-sided merganser or Chinese merganser is an endangered typical merganser. It lives in Manchuria and extreme Southeast Siberia, breeding in the north and wintering in the south.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This striking sea duck has a thin red bill and a scaled dark pattern on the flanks and rump. Both sexes have a crest of wispy elongated feathers, reaching almost to the shoulders in adult males and being fairly short in females and immatures. The adult male has a black head and neck, white breast and underparts, and blackish mantle and wings, except for the white innerwings. The scaling is also black, while the tail is medium grey. The female has a buffish head and otherwise replaces the male's black with grey colour. The legs are orange-red and the irides dark brown in both sexes.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Scaly-sided Merganser?
- This striking sea duck has a thin red bill and a scaled dark pattern on the flanks and rump. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Scaly-sided Merganser?
- The Scaly-sided Merganser is a large sized bird weighing about 1.2 kg.
- Where can you see a Scaly-sided Merganser?
- The Scaly-sided Merganser occurs in 6 countries, including China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR China and Russia.
- What birds look similar to a Scaly-sided Merganser?
- The Scaly-sided Merganser is most easily confused with the Brazilian Merganser, the Red-breasted Merganser and the Common Merganser.
- Is the Scaly-sided Merganser endangered?
- The Scaly-sided Merganser is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Scaly-sided Merganser for real
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