The Scaly-sided Merganser is a rare diving duck of northeast Asia, named for the dark, scale-like markings along its white flanks. It doesn't occur in the United States. It breeds along forested rivers in the Russian Far East and northeastern China and winters mostly in central and southern China, with fewer than 5,000 birds left.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 20–24 in (52–62 cm) long. Males have a glossy greenish-black head with a long, shaggy , white underparts, and a dark back. Females have a pale brown head, gray back, and shorter crest. Both have a thin red bill and scaly gray-and-black markings on the flanks.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Forested mountain rivers
- Clear rivers in winter
- Range
- Breeds mainly in the southeastern Russian Far East (Primorye and southern Khabarovsk), with smaller numbers in the Changbai and Lesser Khingan Mountains of northeastern China. Winters mostly in central and southern China, with small numbers in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and parts of Southeast Asia. Not found in North America.
- Preferred conditions
- Breeds on rivers in old mountain forest, up to about 3,300 ft (1,000 m).
Behavior
- Diet
- Aquatic insect larvae such as stoneflies and caddisflies, plus frogs and small to medium fish.
Life cycle
- Nest
- Nests in cavities of large old trees along rivers and readily uses nest boxes.
- Clutch size
- 8–12 eggs
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- ENEndangeredVery high risk of extinction in the wild
- Status
- Recommended conservation steps on Russian breeding rivers include nest boxes, fishing rules, and yearly surveys.
- Threats
- On breeding rivers: loss of old riverside forest, illegal hunting, drowning in abandoned fishing nets, and river pollution. On wintering grounds: fishing, water pollution, and habitat loss.
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