What type of criteria does the long-nosed merganser belong to? Long-nosed merganser - Mergus serrator: description and images of the bird, its nest, eggs and voice recordings

International relevance:
The species is included in Appendix II2 of the EC Conservation Directive rare birds, Annex III of the Berne Convention, Annex II of the Bonn Convention. Listed in the Red Books of Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland.

Description:
Medium sized duck. Body length 57-70 cm, weight 1-1.3 kg. On the back of the head there is a double crest of elongated feathers. The beak is narrow with teeth along the edges and a hook at the end. Sexual dimorphism in coloration is well expressed. The male has a black head with a metallic sheen around the neck white ring(which is absent in the merganser), the crop is brown with black streaks, the back is dark, the sides are gray. Female, young and male in summer-autumn plumage: the upperparts are ashy with a brown tint, the white throat is connected to the white chest, brown the head gradually turns into a whitish neck and chest.

Distribution:
Breeds in Eurasia, North America and Greenland south to 500 northern latitude. In Europe, it is common in Iceland, the British Isles, Fennoscandia, Estonia and northern Russia. The southern border of distribution runs from Ireland to the northern part of Poland and Belarus. Isolated populations are also found south of this border in the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Ukraine. A stable isolated nesting population is also known in Belarus - on the territory of the Naroch lake system. During the nesting period, birds were also recorded on the Braslav Lakes. During migration, it is regularly observed on large bodies of water in different parts Belarus. Winters mainly along Atlantic coast, south coast Baltic Sea, in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Habitats:
Settles in relatively deep, poorly overgrown lakes with clear water, with islands and banks overgrown with trees and shrubs, less often on small rivers.

Biology:
Breeding migratory waterfowl. In spring it appears in April-May, in autumn it leaves in October-December. The nest is built in hidden places - in niches among stones, dense thickets of nettles, under the roots of trees, bushes or under the forest canopy. The clutch appears in the first half of June and consists of 7-12 eggs with an average size of 65.0 - 45.0 mm. If the first clutch dies, it happens again. Incubation 26-28 days. It feeds mainly on small fish. Aquatic insects also play a significant role in nutrition.

Number and trend of its change:
The nesting of a group of birds on the Naroch Lakes was first reliably confirmed in 1979. Its number is stable and amounts to 10-20 pairs. In the neighboring Baltic countries and Ukraine, numbers are declining. The European breeding population size is 59,000–110,000 pairs.

Main threat factors:
Intensive recreational load in coastal zone reservoirs is the main limiting factor. There have been cases of nest destruction by gray crows. Eutrophication of lakes in the Naroch group may lead to a reduction in the number of species that prefer oligotrophic lakes.

Security measures:
Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus since 1993. Visiting one of the main nesting sites - the island on the lake - during the nesting period is prohibited. On purpose. It is necessary to conduct additional research and develop measures to preserve the species on the lakes of the Naroch group: identify and give the status of “rest zones” to bird nesting places, install artificial nests for birds in order to prevent predation by hooded crows, conduct educational work among vacationers about measures to protect the species.

Compiled by:
Kozulin A.V., Ostrovsky O.A.

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There are only 4 species of mergansers, but today our focus is on the long-billed duck. It is widespread in various parts of the planet, so it deserves separate description. Individuals are famous interesting behavior, as well as dimensional features and external data. Today, most of the population is dispersed throughout Europe, more precisely its western part, as well as in the Himalayas, Japan and on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

Description

Individuals of the presented breed group made excellent dives. Distinctive feature the elongated beak is considered, as well as the color of the feathers. In terms of overall dimensions, birds sometimes reach 60 cm; it is also important to take into account the wingspan, which is 70-90 cm. As for weight, it cannot be said that the birds are huge. Their weight varies between 1-1.2 kg.
The nose is reddish, the head is black with a greenish tint. Ducks have feathers white in the neck and chest area, resembling a kind of collar in its pattern. Male specimens have a double crest, as well as a band near the crop.
The chest is spotted, red and black in color. The side parts are gray, the pattern is flowing. The upper area of the wings has spots and a patterned outline. The back and cervical region include a dark-colored stripe (usually black).
The females are almost all identical. Their plumage is greyish, patterned, and slightly striped. On the head there is a forelock of a reddish hue with a gray tint. The abdominal section is whitish, the neck is gray with red, there are no clear boundaries in the transition of tone.
The upper part of the body is light with a tint of brown. There is a dark line in the area of the mirror, followed by white stripe. Females and males practically do not differ in tone, except that in males the dorsal area is black and brown.
The duck has a line between the eyes and nose, but the representative of the male side does not have this feature. Males are famous for their reddish iris, while females have brown irises.
The young animals have not yet developed in terms of their coloring. Its plumage tone is dark, the forelock is not elongated. When an individual reaches sexual maturity, it will acquire all the features characteristic of this species. The young have grayish paws with a slight reddish tint. In males up to 12 months of age, the color is constantly changing, it either looks like a female or a male.

Habitat

Mergansers of this category prefer to settle where there are thickets and some current. That is, they are lured by weakly flowing rivers and lakes with sufficient depth (don’t forget that the birds are excellent divers). They also love all kinds of streams running through wooded areas.
You can find representatives of the breed group in the tundra, as well as in water sources with brackish water. They get along well in bays, shallow waters, straits and bays, and river mouths with sand at the bottom. They do not like silt, so they refuse such water sources.
Birds will always choose narrowed channels instead of the water surface open to human eyes. They try to live near rocky terrain, trees, shrubs near water, and grassy areas. They prefer islands and spits.
When the nesting period comes to an end, the birds go to the sea for the winter. They feed in brackish lagoons or bays. Individuals do not like waves; they swim only in clean water. During the flight to the wintering site, they stop for a snack in small freshwater springs.

Reproduction

The presented mergansers prefer shores during nesting mountain rivers. They can also build nests on various islands. Often such manipulations occur in the spring. Birds nest in colonies or pairs. Individuals begin to build a nest at a distance of approximately 20 m from the water.
Birds often make homes for themselves to reproduce their offspring in natural depressions that are located in the ground. Nests can be under large stones, in rock cracks, in the roots and crowns of dense trees. They can also be found in hollows and reeds.
The individuals in question always choose secluded and quiet places for nesting. This is done so that the female, who incubates the eggs, is not noticeable to the outside world and predators. Birds line the bottom of the nest with dried grass and their own down.
Females can nest in one place for many years. There are often no more than 12 eggs in a clutch. They can be painted in a creamy or creamy shade. The duration of incubation of offspring can last up to 35 days. Already at two months of age, young mergansers learn to fly.
In mid-summer, males gather in flocks and move to tundra rivers and shallow bays. At this time, birds molt. Also, this process often occurs in nesting areas, in forest areas. The individual reaches sexual maturity at the age of 3 years.

Nutrition

Often the individuals in question feed on small fish, invertebrates, plants, larvae, insects and worms.
The feeding process in birds occurs in flocks on shallow shores. Individuals fly to the mouths of shallow bays to spend the winter.

The bird population is declining significantly every year. The problem is that such game is popular among hunters. In addition, individuals often die in fishing nets.
The bird population is rapidly declining due to habitat disturbance. People cut down forests, build dams and pollute water bodies. In addition, individuals are susceptible to bird flu.
Ducks have long been listed under protection in European countries. Thanks to this, the population of the species began to increase on the islands. To preserve the species of birds, people build artificial nests on their own.

Long-nosed mergansers are quite interesting looking birds In addition, such birds also have subspecies. Unfortunately, the population of individuals is declining mainly due to human activity.

Long-nosed, or merganser (Mergus serrator)

Class: Birds

Order: Anseriformes

Family: Ducks

Genus: Merganser

Appearance

The average merganser is large duck, the size of a mallard, with a narrow, long beak. The body length reaches 0.5 m. The wingspan is 67-86 cm.

The weight of males is 1000-1300 g. The head, back and nape are black with a green tint, the neck and abdomen are white, there is a fine streaky pattern on the sides, the chest is red and white. On the back of the head the drake has a double crest of thin feathers. The beak, iris and legs are red. Unlike the greater merganser, the crop is brown with black spots. In the upper jaw from leading edge nostrils have 18 or more teeth (the great merganser has 13-15). The female is ash-gray with a brown head and neck, while the border of brown and gray on the neck is blurred, the back is gray-brown. It differs from female mergansers in the absence of a white spot under the beak. The female's crest is shorter than that of the male. The long, thin beak helps in capturing prey and resembles the shape of a saw.

Habitat

Lives in the northern parts of North America and Eurasia from the tundra to the forest-steppe, winters in sea coasts temperate zone and subtropics.

Lifestyle

The long-nosed merganser is a migratory bird. It does not form large flocks even on migration. The flight is fast, with frequent flapping of the wings, but from the water the bird takes a running start, noisy and heavy. Dives perfectly.

Unlike the great merganser, it makes nests exclusively on the ground, preferring various kinds natural shelters - heaps of stones, wood and reed driftwood, root niches of trees; It usually nests openly on islands far from the coast. Gravitates towards colonies of gull birds. In optimal locations it can form colonies of 5–20 nests.

In addition to fish, which constitutes the main diet of this bird, it feeds on crustaceans, aquatic insects and worms. Often several long-nosed mergansers hunt at once, immersing part of their head in the water and looking out for prey.

Average life expectancy is more than 10 years.

Reproduction

Mergansers begin laying eggs from the end of May. A normal clutch contains 6–11 beige eggs covered with gray down. Double clutches and laying eggs in the nests of other species are common. Incubation lasts 26–28 days.

The behavior of the broods is similar to that of the merganser broods, but the chicks never climb onto the back of the female. Families prefer to stay near rocky ridges no further than 10–20 m from the shore, in the shallowest places. Reaches sexual maturity at 2–3 years of life. Drakes after graduation mating season They fly off to molt to the largest bodies of water within the nesting area.

Captivity

They are practically not kept in captivity; usually preference is given to the Great Merganser, which is less whimsical and easier to contact with humans. Even in zoos, seeing the Long-nosed Merganser is very rare.

The long-nosed merganser (Mergus serrator) belongs to the Anatidae family, Anseriformes order.

External signs of the long-nosed merganser.

The long-nosed merganser is a diving duck. Slightly reminiscent of a pintail, but distinguished by its long, thin beak and plumage color. The body is about 58 cm long. The wings have a span of 71 to 86 centimeters. Weight: 1000 – 1250 g. The beak is red, the head is black with a green tint and the white collar gives it a unique style. The male is easily recognized by the double crest on the back of the head and a wide dark band along the craw. The chest is spotted, reddish-black. In addition, it has gray sides with a streaky pattern. There is a noticeable pattern of spots on the upper side of the wings. A black stripe runs along the top of the neck and along the back.

The female's plumage is mostly gray. The head with a long tuft at the back of the head is colored in a gray-red hue. The belly is white. Gray – red color neck without sharp boundaries goes first into gray, and on the chest in white. The upperparts are brownish-gray. The “mirror” is white, bordered by a dark line, after which another white stripe is visible. The color of the plumage of a male in summer plumage is the same as that of a female, only the back is blackish-brown. A third runs along the top of the wing white stripe. It does not have the light line between the eye and beak that a duck has. The male's iris is red, the female's is brownish.

Female

Young long-nosed mergansers have the same plumage color as the female, but they have a short crest, and all the plumage is of darker tones. Legs yellowish-brown. Males at the age of one year have an intermediate plumage color between that of males and females.

Listen to the voice of the long-nosed merganser.

Habitats of the long-nosed merganser.

Long-nosed mergansers live along the wooded shores of deep lakes, small rivers and moderate streams. They are distributed in tundra, boreal and temperate forests, and are also found in more saline waters, such as sheltered shallow bays, bays, straits or estuaries with sandy rather than muddy substrates. They prefer narrow channels rather than open spaces waters, stay near islands or islets and spits, as well as near protruding rocks or grassy banks.

Female and male

After nesting, mergansers spend the winter at sea, feeding in coastal and sea waters, estuaries, bays and brackish lagoons. Long-nosed mergansers choose clean, shallow water bodies where heavy waves do not form. On migration they stop at large freshwater lakes.

Distribution of the long-nosed merganser.

Long-nosed mergansers are spreading in northern regions North American continent, and then move south to the Great Lakes. Found in the south of Northern Eurasia, in Greenland, Iceland, Great Britain, in the countries Eastern Europe. They live in the northern and eastern regions of China and northern Japan. The wintering range is even more expanded and includes the coast of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean along North America, the territory of Central Europe and the Mediterranean. Black Sea coast, southern part the Caspian Sea, the coast in the south of Pakistan and Iran, as well as the coastal areas of the Korean coast. Long-nosed mergansers fly to winter in the south of the Baltic Sea and on the coast of Europe, forming huge flocks.

Nesting and breeding of the long-nosed merganser.

Long-nosed mergansers prefer to nest along the banks of mountain rivers or on islands from April or May (later in the northern regions) in separate pairs or colonies. The nest is built at a distance of about 25 meters from the water in various places. A secluded place is found in natural depressions on the ground, under boulders, in niches near rocks, among trees or exposed roots, in tree hollows, in gullies, artificial nests, among reeds or on floating reed mats. Hollows or artificial nests are used with an entrance with a diameter of about 10 cm and a recess size of about 30-40 cm.

Sometimes mergansers make a nest simply on the ground, hiding it under bushes, low-hanging branches or in thick grass.

Ducks of this species choose a secluded place so that the female sitting on the eggs remains unnoticed. Down and plant debris are used as lining. Females nest on permanent place for a number of years. The clutch contains 7–12 eggs with a creamy, light brown or cream colored shell. The eggs measure 5.6–7.1 x 4.0–4.8 cm. The female incubates the clutch for 26–35 days. Broods feed in rivers. Young mergansers at the age of two months make independent flights. In July, males gather in flocks and fly away to moult in shallow sea bays and tundra rivers. Males often molt in nesting areas located in forests. Long-nosed mergansers breed after reaching the age of 2–3 years.

Female with brood

Feeding of the long-nosed merganser.

The main food of the long-nosed merganser is mainly small, marine or freshwater fish, and also small quantity plants and aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans (shrimps and crayfish), worms, insect larvae. In shallow water, ducks feed in flocks, organizing a collective hunt for fish fry. For the winter, long-nosed mergansers fly to river mouths and to the shores of shallow bays.

Peculiarities of behavior of the long-nosed merganser.

Long-nosed Mergansers - in full migratory birds, although in temperate regions they make small short movements to nearby coasts or remain in feeding areas throughout the year. Adult birds often gather in groups on beaches when the breeding season ends.

Reasons for the decline in the number of long-nosed merganser.

Long-nosed mergansers are the object of hunting and can be shot. The birds are hunted in North America and Denmark, although this species is not very popular for sport hunting. Fishermen and fish farmers blame this bird species for the depletion of fish stocks.

Long-nosed mergansers are also accidentally caught and entangled in fishing nets.

Changes in breeding sites, construction of dams and deforestation, habitat degradation, and pollution of water bodies are the main threats to the species. Long-nosed mergansers are also susceptible to avian influenza, so new outbreaks are a major concern. Conservation status long-nosed merganser.

The long-nosed merganser is protected under the EU Birds Directive Annex II. Breeding densities of this species have increased on the outer islands of the archipelago in southwestern Finland as a result of the removal of feral American mink. In order to preserve the species, artificial nests will be placed in suitable places in which the birds breed their offspring. Strict implementation of legislation on drilling and transportation of petroleum products in coastal areas is necessary. In addition, measures should be taken to reduce the catch of juvenile fish. Important areas for protecting the long-nosed merganser are measures to prevent changes in the habitat.

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