Wildlifeof China
Smew
Ducks, Geese & Grebes
Photo: (c) Griha Hasanov, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Mergellus albellus
Basic stats
Habitat
Breeds in the northern taiga; winters on sheltered coasts and inland lakes
Range
Breeds in the Palearctic from northern Scandinavia east to Chukotka; winters in Europe, the Caspian Sea, eastern China, Korea, Japan and a small number in northern India
Clutch size
7–11 cream-coloured eggs
Incubation period
26–28 days
Size
38–44cm
Wingspan
56–69cm
Weight
450–650g
The smew is the only living member of the genus Mergellus, 38–44cm long with a 56–69cm wingspan, weighing 450–650g. The adult drake, with its 'cracked ice' or 'panda' look, is unmistakable and very black-and-white in flight. Females and immature males are grey with a chestnut forehead and crown, white chin and cheeks and black lores, and are often called 'redhead' smew. It has hybridised with the common goldeneye (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds in the northern taiga of the Palearctic, from northern Scandinavia east to Chukotka, in May, laying 7–11 cream-coloured eggs incubated by the female for 26–28 days. Ducklings leave the nest soon after hatching and fly within about ten weeks. As a migrant it winters on sheltered coasts or inland lakes, in Asia in the Caspian Sea, eastern China, Korea and Japan, with a few reaching northern India (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Smew live in?
- Breeds in the northern taiga; winters on sheltered coasts and inland lakes
- Where is the Smew found?
- Breeds in the Palearctic from northern Scandinavia east to Chukotka; winters in Europe, the Caspian Sea, eastern China, Korea, Japan and a small number in northern India
- How many eggs does the Smew lay?
- 7–11 cream-coloured eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Smew incubated?
- 26–28 days
- How big is the Smew?
- 38–44cm
- What is the wingspan of the Smew?
- 56–69cm
- How much does the Smew weigh?
- 450–650g