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Project Noah Nature School
Mergellus albellus
A small merganser of northern Europe and Asia. The male is mostly white with black markings. The bill is hook tipped and serrated for catching fish. The smew is 38–44 cm (15–17 in) long. Females generally resemble female Goldeneyes, but they are more slender and have white colouring on their necks extending onto their cheeks forming a sharp boundary with their reddish brown caps (pics 3-5).
Spotted at Woodland Park Zoo.
Spotted on Mar 23, 2019
Submitted on Mar 27, 2019
14 Comments
My Booby pics are not Noah quality - barely ebird. She is hanging on a channel marker except to fly. Even the local big guns with huge barrel lenses aren't getting anything great. She's fun to watch hunt, though!
A friend of mine goes fishing off the coast and sees them as well other strange birds and the giant sunfish. I hope you get a pic of the Brown Booby.
I would love to see one. Maybe we'll get lucky and get a rogue here - currently enjoying a Brown Booby hanging out in our bay, so I suppose anything could happen
Thank you, Karen. It's a fascinating duck - and is the only living member of the genus Mergellus. So not a true merganser but related.
Looks like someone took a fine-line sharpie to him. What a cool find!
Thank you for your kind comments Hema, Mark Ridgway, Dawn Lopez-Garanzuay and mauna Kunzah.
very beautiful and unique!!
Smew !? Never heard of those but the male is sure a handsome dude.
That was an interesting find!
NP, Brian. The female is cute too.
Thanks for commenting Mauna. They where interesting to watch - even in their captive environment. I added pictures of the female.
I like its name and hairstyle.
Thanks for commenting Sukanya. New for me as well.
Very distinctive colouration...never knew...thanks, Brian.