Merginae
From Freepedia
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| Image:Merginae.smew.arp.750pix.jpg Smew (male) | ||||||||||||
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Chendytes (extinct) |
The seaducks, Merginae, form a subfamily of the duck, goose and swan family of birds, Anatidae.
As the name implies, most but not all, are essentially marine outside the breeding season. Many species have developed specialized salt glands to allow them to tolerate salt water, but these have not yet developed in young birds. Some of the mergansers prefer riverine habitats.
All but two of the 20 species in this group occupy habitats in far northern latitudes.
The fish-eating members of this group, such as the mergansers and Smew, have serrated edges to their bills to help them grip their prey. These are therefore often known as "sawbills".
Other seaducks take molluscs or crustaceans from the sea floor.
There are twenty living species in ten extant genera.
Subfamily Merginae
- Genus Chendytes, the diving-geese. These birds became extinct in prehistoric times. They were large, goose-like ducks with reduced wings which were unfit for flying, but could assist in diving as in the Great Auk. At least one species survived to the Holocene.
- Law's Diving-goose Chendytes lawi Conservation status: Prehistoric
- Genus Polysticta
- Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri Conservation status: Vulnerable
- Genus Somateria, the eiders. These are large marine ducks The drakes have body plumage showing varying amounts of black and white, and distinctive head patterns.Females are brown.
- Common Eider Somateria mollissima Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- King Eider Somateria spectabilis Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Genus Histrionicus
- Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Genus Camptorhynchus
- Labrador Duck Camptorhynchus labradorius Conservation status: Extinct (c.1878)
- Genus Melanitta, the scoters. These are stocky marine ducks. The drakes are mostly black and have swollen bills. Females are brown.
- Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Black Scoter or American Scoter Melanitta americana (sometimes considered a subspecies of M. nigra) Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi (sometimes considered a subspecies of M. fusca) Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Genus Clangula
- Long-tailed Duck or Oldsquaw Clangula hyemalis Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. These are less marine than some species in this group, and will winter on fresh water. Drakes have white bodies with black backs and distinctive head markings. Females are grey with chestnut heads.
- Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Genus Mergellus (sometimes included in Mergus)
- Smew Mergellus albellus Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Genus Lophodytes (sometimes included in Mergus)
- Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Genus Mergus, the typical mergansers. These are the least marine of this group, only Red-breasted being common on the sea. These are large saw-billed ducks which dive for fish.
- Brazilian Merganser Mergus octosetaceus Conservation status: Critical
- Auckland Islands Merganser Mergus australis Conservation status: Extinct (c.1902)
- Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Common Merganser or Goosander Mergus merganser Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
- Chinese Merganser Mergus squamatus Conservation status: Endangered
