Family: Anatidae, Ducks and Geese view all from this family

Description 14-16" (35.5-40.5 cm). A small white merganser. Male has whitish body; back and face black; V-shaped black patch on nape; sides of breast marked with vertical black bars; bill black. Female has grayish body; throat and lower face white; reddish head and nape.

Habitat Breeds in taiga; prefers lakes, ponds, bays, and rivers.

Nesting 6-9 white eggs in tree cavity near water.

Range Breeds in northern Eurasia. Winters from Iceland to Russia and Kamchatka, south to northwestern Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, eastern China, and Japan.

Voice Generally silent.

Discussion In North America the Smew occurs only as a rare but regular migrant in the Aleutian Islands; very rare along Pacific Coast. Reports of this species elsewhere in North America are often suspected of being escaped captives since the species is kept and bred in captivity.