Smew (Mergellus albellus), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, Oslo, Norway

The first in the field this year, albeit belatedly, were the smews, Mergellus albellus, on a half-frozen pond.

遅ればせながら今年のフィールド初めは、半分以上凍りついた池に浮かぶミコアイサ。

Nuns, Smews   -  Lidwien Chorus

Dutch, b. 1951 -

Fischfangexperte Nr.90/2018 Ein Zwergsäger by (*|*) Michael and his feathered friends

By Dick Daniels, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Name: Mergellus albellus

Status: Extant

First Described: 1840 

Described By: Selby

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Galloanserae, Anseriformes, Anseres, Anatoidea, Anatidae 

Today’s dinosaur is the Smew! The Smew is a bird in its own genus and it is not considered threatened with extinction. Though only having one species today, it does have extinct species, specifically from about 13 million years ago in Hungary, in the Serravallian age of the Miocene of the Neogene. There are also subfossils from this specific species in England from a few hundred years ago. Today the Smew spends the breeding season in the taiga of Europe and Asia, and then spends the winter on the Baltic and Black Seas, as well as Germany and Eastern Europe, though some can still be found in the United Kingdom. It is a Sea Duck with a very distinct appearance, sometimes described as “cracked ice” and it looks exceedingly black and white while flying. There are also ovular patches on its wings. The have a hooked bill tip and serrated bill edges, aiding in catching fish. They like to nest in tree holes and are very shy birds, difficult to really get glimpses of. 

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Source: 

Smew (Mergellus albellus), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, Mooka-Igashira Park, Moka, Tochigi, Japan

Smew (Mergellus albellus) T - male and B - female, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, The Netherlands