Smew - Mergellus albellus

Length 1.1-1.4 ft (35.0-44.0 cm)
Wingspan 1.8-2.3 ft (55.0-69.0 cm)
Clutch Size 7-9
Chicks at birth Precocial
IUCN Conservation Status Least Concern
Continents:EU, AS
     

The Smew has also been called the Weasel Coot or the White Nun. They breed in the northern taiga of Europe and Asia. They winter on the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, northern Germany, the Low Countries and Great Britain. The Smew is closely related to the goldeneyes and the mergansers.

Smew are sexually dimorphic with the male mostly white which black lines and a black patch around the eye. Females have a gray body, a white head with chestnut forehead and crown. Their bill has serrated edges and a hooked tip to help catch fish that it dives for.

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