The wild duck merganser is an excellent flyer, swimmer, diver and fisherman. Long-nosed, or sea merganser - Mergus serrator: description and images of the bird, its nest, eggs and voice recording Lutok or small merganser

Class: Birds Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae Genus: Mergansers Species: Long-nosed Merganser

Long-nosed Merganser - Mergus serrator

Appearance.

Sizes are average. On the head is a crest of fine feathers. The male's head and back are black, the neck, abdomen and base of the wings are white, the goiter is brown with black streaks, the sides are gray with a small transverse pattern, the beak and paws are red.

The female is gray with a brown head and neck, a light belly, and white spots on the throat and wings; the border of the brown color of the neck and light goiter is blurred.

Lifestyle.

Inhabits sea coasts and islands, tundra and taiga reservoirs, mountain lakes and rivers. Migrant. Common. Breeds in wooded or open offshore islands, along the shores of lakes and rivers - A duck's nest (2) arranges in cracks in rocks, in voids under stones, in a fin, in dense shrubbery, in reeds, less often completely open, usually not far from the water.

The nest is richly lined with dark down. Clutch from mid-May onwards (in the north) consists of 7-12 pale olive eggs. The female sits so tightly on the nest that it is sometimes possible to catch her with her hands.

It does not form large flocks even on migration. The flight is fast, with frequent wing beats, but the bird rises from the water with a run, noisy and heavy. Dives great. The voice is a hoarse quack of "crack... crash." It feeds mainly on fish. The commercial value is small.

It differs from the large merganser in its brown goiter and gray sides, the female in a blurred border of the color of the neck and abdomen, and from the scaly merganser in a brown goiter and a transverse pattern on the sides (females are almost indistinguishable).

Reference books of the geographer and traveler V.E. Flint, R.L. Boehme, Yu.V. Kostin, A.A. Kuznetsov. Birds of the USSR. Publishing house "Thought" Moscow, edited by prof. G.P. Dementieva. Image: Author Andrew Bossi

The merganser duck is distributed throughout the world. Many varieties of mergansers, different in color, size, habitats live in Western Europe, in the Himalayas, in coastal waters Atlantic Ocean and in Japan.

The wild merganser duck has been identified as a separate genus of mergansers (Merginae), belonging to the family of ducks (Anatidae), subfamily of real ducks (Anatinae), order Anseriformes.


The genus includes six species:

  • loot or small merganser;
  • long-nosed or medium merganser;
  • big merganser;
  • scaly merganser;
  • crested merganser;
  • Brazilian merganser.

Important. In New Zealand, the Auckland Merganser lived, a stuffed animal of which today can only be seen in a museum. The culprits for the disappearance of this bird are feral pigs, cats and goats brought to the islands.

The basis for the allocation of mergansers into a separate genus was the similarity of the anatomical structure, food preferences, lifestyle and behavior. A characteristic distinguishing feature of ducks of this genus is the beak. It is long, narrow, curved towards the top with a sharp thin horny outgrowth-hook on the pommel.

In most ducks, the beak is equipped with plates designed to collect or strain plant food; in mergansers, which feed mainly on fish, the plates have changed into sharp teeth located along the edges of the beak.

Other anatomical features are also characteristic of mergansers:

A feature of ducks of the Krokhal breed is a large crest on the head.
  • elongated body shape;
  • thin, long neck;
  • crest on a large head;
  • pointed wing shape;
  • short legs with a wide leathery lobe on the hind toe;
  • short, rounded, wide tail;
  • spectacular coloring;
  • large dimensions.

Mergansers have a waddling "duck" gait. They are excellent flyers, swimmers and divers. . Depending on the habitat, mergansers migrate or lead sedentary life.

Types of merganser ducks

In the territory Russian Federation four types of mergansers are common: slutok, long-nosed, scaly and large.

Lutok or small merganser

The Latin name for the loot is Mergus albellus. It nests in the forest zone of the European part of Russia, in Siberia, in the Arkhangelsk region, in Karelia, on the Kola Peninsula, in Kamchatka, Far East, Shantar Islands, Scandinavia. It often winters in the Black and Caspian Seas, on the rivers of Southern Ukraine, Central Asia, Northern India, Japan, Korea, and China.

Prefers large forest rivers and floodplain lakes with fresh water. In winter, it lives in shallow sea waters near the ice edge, in river mouths.

Lutok is a rather small bird. It is slightly larger than the teal-whistle, weighs from 500 to 750 g, although there were also large individuals that “pulled” in the fall by 800-860 g. The back of the bird’s head is decorated with a wide crest. Tail of 8 pairs of tail feathers, rounded. Along the edges of a small beak are frequent, sharp "teeth".


Krokhal drakes have an interesting white-ash color.

The color of the breeding plumage of drakes is white with a black pattern. The back, part of the wings are black, the body on the sides with ash-bluish streams. Head, throat, abdomen are white. There are blue-black markings on the cheeks, between the beak and the eye, on the back of the head. The wings are dark gray, white in the middle, black at the ends. Beak and paws are lead-gray. The eyes are brown.

The top of the duck's head and the back of the neck are rusty-brown. The back is dark gray, with a burinka on the shoulders. Dark spots under the eyes. The throat, goiter and abdomen are white with gray-brown specks.

Drakes start breeding at the winter hut, so the sluts fly to the nesting place in pairs. Conquering the female, the male swims around the duck in circles, fluffing the tuft, plumage on the sides, on the shoulder blades and throat. Nodding his head, the drake grunts hoarsely.

The female builds a nest in the hollows of trees. Does not make litter; later the dwelling is lined with nesting light fluff. The average number of shiny yellow eggs in a clutch is 8, nests with 10-11 eggs are rare. Drakes take care of the female until the last egg is laid, then fly away to molt. Chicks are born in a month.

Important. Loots often occupy other people's abandoned nests or are combined with. Moreover, the female loot incubates and gogolyat.


The females of the lesser merganser are gray in color, the feathers on the head are rusty-brown.

Long-nosed or medium merganser

The specific name of the long-nosed merganser in Latin is Merganser serrator. He breeds in Iceland, Ireland, Germany, Poland, the Baltic countries, the Faroe, Hebrides, Orkney, Scottish, Danish Islands, Scandinavian and Jutland peninsulas. In Russia, it is distributed in the White Sea, Novaya Zemlya, the Solovetsky Islands, Yamal, Kolguev Island, Murman, Karelia, the Timan tundra, the Urals, and Siberia.

It winters on the coast of the North and Baltic Seas, in the west of the Kola Peninsula, in Iceland, France, and Italy. Arrives in large numbers for winter nesting in Kamchatka and the Commander Islands, the Kuril ridge, Japanese islands, to Korea and China. The long-nosed merganser is a migratory bird, it rarely leads a sedentary lifestyle.

Chooses different habitats: skerries on sea ​​coasts, coastal lakes and lagoons, rivers, flowing tundra lakes, open sandy islands.

The long-nosed merganser is a large duck. The weight of a winter drake reaches 1400 g, ducks -1200 g. Distinctive feature the middle merganser has a bright red beak compressed on the sides with a narrow nail in the form of a curved blunt hook.


Ducks of the medium or long-nosed merganser breed are excellent swimmers and divers.

The head and top of the neck are black in the drake, brown in the duck, and there is a double crest on the back of the head. In the male merganser, the lower front side of the neck is white, the goiter is rusty-brown. The white folded wing stands out clearly against the gray flanks and black back.

The bird swims and dives well. It can stay under water for up to 25 seconds.

The mating ritual of the long-nosed mergansers is more complex and noisy than that of the loot and the greater mergansers. Starting the game, the drake deeply immerses the body in the water, raises the tail, stretches its neck at an angle of 75 ° to the water, bows, opens the tail like a fan, presses the crest to the neck, opens its beak wide. He splashes water with his wings on his back, flaps his wings loudly.

For the nest, the duck chooses crevices, caves, dense thickets of shrubs and reeds, washed tree roots. The primitive nest is a shallow hole with flimsy plant litter and an abundance of nesting dark down. Females lay 8 to 12 pale olive eggs and incubate nests alone for 31-32 days.


The meat of ducks of the Krokhal breed has a bright fishy flavor.

Important. The meat of all types of mergansers should be eaten with caution. Mergansers are often infected with a tapeworm that can grow up to several meters in the human body. In addition, the meat of mergansers strongly gives fish.

Mergus merganser or the big merganser is popularly known as the red-bellied bison and cormorant duck. Its habitat extends to Iceland, the northern part of Europe, and Central Asia. There is a bird in the Himalayas, in Tibet, in North America.

In Russia, a large merganser lives on the Pacific coast, Southern Urals, in the basin of the Northern Dvina, in Altai, in Transbaikalia, the Amur Region, the Ussuri Territory, on Sakhalin, the Kuriles, Kamchatka. The bird gives a clear preference to flat rivers, clean lakes without dense vegetation. Avoids sea water.

The big merganser is really very big. Drakes sometimes weigh more than two kilograms.

Unlike other species, the drake is completely devoid of a crest. The color of the head and upper neck of the drake is black with a metallic sheen. The base of the neck, sides of the body, abdomen, upper part of the main part of the wings are pure white.


A feature of ducks of the breed big merganser is the absence of a tuft on the head.

The duck has a double wide crest on its red head. The throat and goiter are white.

Mating behavior and arrangement of nests is the same as for loot. The duck lays 8 to 13 creamy white smooth eggs.

Important. There are three subspecies of the greater merganser: common merganser, North American and Himalayan. An ordinary large and Himalayan live in Russia.

There is little reliable information about the scaly merganser (Mergus squamatus). Presumably, the bird nests on the coast of the Bering Sea, Commander Islands, in the mountains of Sikhote-Alin, Manchuria, China, Korea, Burma, leads a sedentary lifestyle.

This is a medium sized bird. In anatomy, it is closest to the long-nosed mergansers. A distinctive feature is a very long tuft of a drake. The head, tuft and neck of the duck are brown-olive. The body on the sides and the base of the neck are reddish, the throat is white. The wings are ash-bluish, the back and undertail are in alternating gray and white stripes of "scales".


In drakes of the breed Scaly merganser, the crest is longer than in other species of merganser.

On the abdomen, goiter, inside The wing plumage is white with purple reflections. On the sides of the goiter, on the chest, lower back, abdomen, on the transverse strip on the back of the abdomen, there are feathers with clearly defined wide stripes in the form of an arc along the edges, forming a kind of scaly pattern. The wing mirror is pure white.

The mating drake is distinguished by black plumage with a green sheen of the head, neck, neck, shoulder blades and shoulders. The "scaly" back and loins of drakes are grey. Uppertail pockmarked, gray-black. Sides with obvious black scales, on the undertail the pattern is blurry. The top of the wing is black, the middle is white, the middle coverts are black and white.

The beak of both the female and the male is red with a dark longitudinal stripe in the center and a dark tip. The iris is white or greyish.

nests on mountain rivers Oh. Nests are arranged in hollows of trees.

The bird is so peculiar that it is considered a separate genus - crested merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus). It lives in the boreal zone of North America between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It nests along the shores of forest lakes, in floodplain meadows, swamps, on the banks of lowland rivers. It winters near its main habitat, on the American ocean coast.


The crested merganser is an unusual and peculiar duck.

The average crested merganser is 500-650 g. In brown-brown ducks, the head is decorated with a red-brown tuft. In the male in mating season the crest is black and white and very wide. Tokuya, the drake fluffs it up so that the head becomes twice as big. Ducks and drakes are easy to distinguish by the color of the iris. The eyes of females are red-brown, those of males are yellow.

Brazilian merganser

Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus) - rare species, whose habitat is limited to the Brazilian Serra da Canastra National Park. By 2013, the population did not exceed 350 individuals.

Small (550-700 g) birds feel good on land, but they eat what they get in the water.

What do merganser ducks eat

Regardless of the species and habitat, the basis of the diet of mergansers is fish. big views hunt salmon, trout, eels, graylings, pikes, herrings and barbs. Smaller mergansers catch small fish.

Additions to the diet are:

  • aquatic insects, their larvae and pupae;
  • small crustaceans;
  • shellfish;
  • worms.

Looking for a school of fish, toothed ducks lower their heads into the water, having found prey, they dive. They move rapidly underwater, capable of making sharp turns.


The basis of the menu of merganser ducks is fish, but these ducks also eat other marine life.

Mergansers in the Red Book

The number of loot, large and long-nosed mergansers is stable. On the territory of Russia, hunting for them is allowed everywhere.

The scaly merganser is listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation, China, Northern and South Korea. It is listed as Endangered (EN) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

The Himalayan subspecies of the greater merganser is assigned to rare species. Work on the preservation of the population is carried out on the territory of the Zorkulsky reserve in the Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan.

The endangered Brazilian merganser is being taken seriously by the Brazilian government. A plan has been developed to save the merganser, including monitoring, creating national parks, breeding birds in captivity.

The crested merganser is out of danger in the USA. The population is growing steadily.

On the video you can see beautiful ducks of the Krokhal breed.

Long-nosed merganser (middle merganser, Mergus serrator), a species of bird of the genus mergansers, family of ducks. Weight 900-1300 g, body length 51-62 cm, wingspan 70-86 cm. During the mating season, the plumage of the head and back of males is black, sometimes with a greenish tint. The sides are gray with a transverse jet pattern, the bottom is white. The beak and paws are red. On the head is a crest of fine feathers. Wide across the neck white stripe, a black stripe runs from the back of the head to the back. There are white spots on the upper side of the wing. In summer, the male has a blackish-brown back.

The plumage of the female from above is mostly gray, the head is gray-red, with a long crest on the back of the head, and the belly is white. Entire neck rufous grey, chest grey colour turns into white, from above the female is brownish-gray. There is a white mirror on the wing, in front of which, through a dark stripe, is another parallel white stripe. The eyes of the male are red, those of the female are brown.

The long-nosed merganser dives well, usually spending 20-25 seconds under water. The flight is fast, with frequent wing beats, slightly whistling. It rises heavily from the water and from a running start. Does not form large flocks. Only on molting sometimes it gathers in groups of hundreds of birds.

It lives in the forest zone and part of the tundra of North America and Eurasia. More common in mountain rivers. Rare or absent in flat areas. To the north of the breeding range - to the Arctic coasts and islands - nomadic and molting birds are found. Long-nosed mergansers nest mainly along the banks of rivers in mountainous areas. Nests are located very differently - in niches of rocks or among stones, in hollows and semi-hollows, in cavities under roots, in gullies, on the ground in bushes, under spruce paws or simply in grass, if it is thick and high enough to cover the masonry well and incubating female. The lining consists of brownish-gray fluff and debris. Females usually occupy the same nest year after year. The clutch consists of 7-12 eggs, sometimes more. The color of the shell is yellowish, creamy, pale brown. The female incubates the eggs for 26-35 days. The broods stay mainly on the rivers, the young rise to the wing at about two months of age. In July, males gather for a summer molt on tundra rivers, in bays and in shallow waters of the northern seas. A few of them also molt in nesting areas in the forest zone.

Food consists of small fish, aquatic invertebrates, insects and their larvae, rarely aquatic vegetation. Sometimes flocks of mergansers arrange collective corrals in shallow waters. small fish. They winter almost exclusively in the seas (Caspian and Black, in the south of the Baltic, the coast of the Atlantic Ocean), for the most part in shallow bays and estuaries, some winter on the lakes of Central Asia.

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

External signs of the long-nosed merganser.

The long-nosed merganser is a diving duck. It looks a bit like a pintail, but is distinguished by a long thin beak and plumage coloration. The body is about 58 cm long. The wingspan is from 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 recognizable by the double crest on the back of the head and the wide dark band along the goiter. The chest is spotted, reddish-black. In addition, it has gray sides with a streaked pattern. On the upper side of the wings there is a noticeable pattern of spots. A black stripe runs along the top of the neck and along the back.

The plumage of the female is mostly grey. The head with a long tuft at the back of the head, is painted in a gray-red hue. The belly is white. The gray-red color of the neck without sharp borders turns first into gray, and on the chest into white. The upper body is brownish-gray. The "mirror" is white, bordered by a dark line, after which one more strip of white is visible. The color of the plumage of the male in summer plumage is similar to that of the female, only the back is blackish-brown. A third white stripe runs along the top of the wing. It does not have a light line between the eye and the beak, which the duck has. The iris of the male is red, the female is brownish.


Female

Young long-nosed mergansers have the same plumage color as the female, but they have a short tuft, all plumage is darker tones. Legs are yellowish-brown. Males at the age of one year have an intermediate plumage color between the color 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. Distributed in the tundra, boreal and temperate forests, and 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 over open spaces waters, keep near islands or islets and spits, as well as near protruding rocks or grassy shores.


female and male

After nesting, mergansers winter in the sea, feed in coastal and sea ​​waters, estuaries, bays and brackish lagoons. Long-nosed mergansers choose the cleanest, shallow waters that do not form heavy waves. On migration they stop at large freshwater lakes.

Distribution of merganser long-nosed.

Long-nosed mergansers spread in the northern regions of the North American mainland, and then move south to the Great Lakes. They are found in the south of Northern Eurasia, in Greenland, Iceland, Great Britain, in the countries of Eastern Europe. They live in the northern and eastern regions of China and northern Japan. The wintering area is even more extended and includes the coast of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans 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 regions of the coast of Korea. Long-nosed mergansers fly to winter in the south of the Baltic Sea and on the coast of Europe, forming huge aggregations.

Nesting and reproduction of the long-nosed merganser.

Long-nosed mergansers prefer to nest along the banks of mountain rivers or on islets 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 arrange a nest just on the ground, hiding it under bushes, branches hanging low or in thick grass.

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


Female with brood

Nutrition of the long-nosed merganser.

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

Features of the behavior of the long-nosed merganser.

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

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

Long-nosed mergansers are an object of hunting and can shoot back. Birds are hunted in North America and Denmark, although this species is not very popular for sport hunting. Anglers and fish farmers blame this bird species for depleting fish stocks.

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

Breeding site changes, damming and deforestation, habitat degradation, and water pollution are major threats to the species. Long-nosed mergansers are also susceptible to avian influenza, so new outbreaks of the disease are of great concern. conservation status long-nosed merganser.

The long-nosed merganser is protected by the EU Birds Directive Appendix II. Breeding density of this species has increased on islands outside the archipelago in southwestern Finland as a result of the removal of the feral American mink. In order to preserve the species, artificial nests are placed in suitable places in which birds breed. Strict enforcement of legislation on drilling and transportation of oil products in coastal areas is required. In addition, measures should be taken to reduce the catch of fish fry. Important areas for the protection of the long-nosed merganser are measures to prevent changes in the habitat.

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The big merganser is a well-known wild duck, which is of interest not only to hunters. Among modern poultry farmers there are lovers to keep free mergansers at home. Occupation is not too simple only at first glance. Taking into account certain features this species ducks are no more troublesome than culturally bred breeds.

The big merganser is popular in the open spaces of the central and northern parts of Russia, the CIS, and America. Especially often you can meet such a duck in the cool lands of the Urals, Yamal, the Kola Peninsula, Baikal, on the banks of the Yenisei, Vilyui, in the area of ​​the Kolyma Range, Chukotka, Alaska, Quebec and Newfoundland.

In windy climates, mergansers prefer to live in warm seasons. In October-November, individuals move in flocks to quiet corners of sunny countries - to Japan, Southern Europe and America, coastal China, Korea. Sedentary livestock meet along the banks Sea of ​​Azov and in Kamchatka, where the water does not freeze.


Ducks return at the end of February. At home, they choose habitats along lakes, rivers with clean water, forest tundra. Flocks include from 10 to 20 heads. Often mergansers fly to familiar or previously chosen places.

Video - Big merganser in nature

Appearance

The big merganser has a large body size. The horizontally elongated body reaches 58 - 65 cm in length. Features type:

  • fluffy wings. In the open state, their size is approximately 90 cm. In large individuals, the indicator reaches 1 m. When folded, they fit snugly to the body, repeating its shape;
  • steering tail. This part of the body has small size, but fan out in flight to control the process;
  • Long neck. By duck standards, the neck of the merganser is stretched quite strongly. She is strongly built, slightly arched when at rest;
  • unusual beak. Thin, sharp, red, the tip looks down;
  • high paws. Thin stable legs, 3 fingers with membranes between them. Painted orange-red;
  • head with crest. Females have a long tuft of hair. It is absent in males. The head itself has an average size proportional to the body;
  • eyes with iris. A large black pupil in different individuals is framed in a brown, red, gray or black rim. The eyes of drakes are always lighter.


Color

The Greater Goslingers have well-developed external sexual differences. Duck and drake differ significantly in plumage colors.

Male

Drakes change color for different seasons of the year. In spring, the shades are as bright as possible to attract the "ladies". During the summer molt, the colors brighten, becoming as similar as possible to the color of ducks.

The feather on the surface of the back is distinguished by thick blackness. Wings are black and white. The tail and belly are muted grey. On the chest, at the base of the neck and in the region of the goiter, there are white spaces with a reddish or reddish patch. The upper part of the neck and head are dark with a pronounced green metallic sheen. There may be a small gray speck on the lower legs, and sometimes there is a black dot on the tip of the beak.


Female

ducks big merganser paler plumage. Light gray shades predominate over the entire surface of the body, including the sides and tail. Only the head and neck stand out with a brownish-rusty color. At the bottom of the sternum, throat, on the stomach, wings there are whitened gaps.


Productivity

The big merganser quickly gains weight. Individuals reach the peak of fatness by the end of autumn. The percentage of fat in such ducks is high. The meat does not have a very pleasant smell and taste due to nutritional characteristics. Carcass weight varies from 900 g to 2.2 kg.

A duck produces 8-13 eggs per clutch. At home, wear can be somewhat increased due to constant food. The eggs are creamy white and large. Hatching and survival - up to 100%.


The breed is a supplier of valuable skins and carcasses for stuffed animals. Commercial hunting for such birds is carried out in extremely rare cases.

Character

Ducks Greater Merganser are skittish, but not scandalous. Male fights are observed only during periods mating games or in case of danger. Both sexes are talkative and love to talk. Females sound crackling, somewhat croaking. Drakes have a muffled voice, a jerky cry, similar to the syllables "ba-a-bab". Individuals are mobile, excellent divers. They are willing to be tamed.


Reproduction features

The breed reaches sexual maturity at about 2 years of age. These ducks are characterized by the choice of a partner for a long time. IN wild nature females and males make acquaintances before arrival for nesting. They show off in advance in front of each other, stretch their necks, drakes make mournful sounds. Pairs or small families of one “husband” and several “wives” are already starting to nest.

Ducks build nests. At the same time, drakes guard their ladies, walking nearby. The place for the future shelter of the mother hen may be as follows:

  • crack in the rock;
  • hollow tree;
  • dense shrub;
  • on the ground among dense thickets of grass;
  • abandoned buildings.

As a rule, the search is carried out within a radius of 1 km from the reservoir. Mother hens try to pick up places higher. They go down when a suitable space cannot be found. Greater mergansers belong to the type of wild ducks that willingly go to prepared nests. They perceive boxes, boxes in their places of residence with confidence. The main material for building and covering the nest is down from the sternum of the female. Ducks themselves pull it and compact their dwelling.

The mother hen sits on eggs for 32 days. Each produces up to 30 chicks. There are cases of the death of "neighbors", when one mother has to take up to 40 eggs under her wing. Such an action does not cause inconvenience to merganser ducks due to their large body and their own weight.

Males do not participate in the process of breeding ducklings. Often they immediately leave their female. At home, there is no need to get food, so drakes often become responsible, caring daddies.


Babies hatch with olive-brown fluff all over the body. At the age of two, they jump out of the nest and begin to run after the duck. Development is proceeding slowly. Large mergansers learn to swim not earlier than the 10th day of life, and they rise to the wing only by 2.5 months. Meanwhile, the chicks run quickly both on land and in water. Due to this ability, they skillfully hide from predators and other dangers.

Nutrition

The big merganser feeds mainly on fish. A feature of this duck is the preference for large species of aquatic inhabitants. The menu of the breed includes trout, grayling, salmon, barb, eel, herring, pike, roach and other varieties 25-36 cm long. Fry, molluscs, larvae, crustaceans, worms, and other invertebrate small organisms are also consumed by mergansers, but in much smaller quantities. On the coasts, bugs and other insects are sometimes caught as treats. The basis of food depends on the time of year and the area, since the hunt takes place on nearby water bodies.


Individuals use several "built-in" devices for obtaining food at once:

  • beak. In addition to the curved tip, it has sharp teeth along the edges. With their help, birds hold slippery food and push it down the throat;
  • torso. The streamlined shape allows you to dive deep enough without being pushed out. Ducks have the opportunity to carefully consider surrounding water for hunting;
  • paws. The membranes and length allow you to move freely under water. With good speed, smooth movements are maintained, which allows you not to scare away the fish.

More often mergansers feed collectively. It happens when individuals go on a solitary hunt, but this is typical when living in a small family. Until the 10th day of life, ducklings feed in shallow water, then they begin to dive for fry.


Knowing the basics of living in wild environment, you can easily arrange for them to live on a private farm. It should be borne in mind that the breed is not suitable for permanent residence in hot climatic zones. At in large numbers fat ducks will begin to suffer from the heat. Temperate climate suits such ducks as well as possible. In cold areas, conditions can also be created by providing seasonal heating. In general, mergansers are unpretentious, do not require too attentive, intrusive care, do not need exotics.

poultry house

Wild ducks are extremely freedom-loving. They move around a lot, so space is needed. There should not be more than 3 adults per 1 m 2 of the room. The building is made at least 16 m 2, even for a dozen or a dozen of these ducks. Crowding causes stress, leads to stunted growth, disease and internecine fights.

The best duckling material is a wooden beam 7-12 cm thick. Sheathing is made of boards or plywood. Brick and aerated concrete poultry houses are more durable, but more expensive and more difficult to build. Polycarbonate retains heat well, but may be uncomfortable for wild ducks due to natural instincts. The tree is optimal in all respects.


The best material for a duckling is a wooden beam 7-12 cm

Bar prices

The structure of the "house" includes:

  • foundation or legs with a height of at least 20 cm. Lifting from the ground will avoid dampness and cold from the ground, prevent the penetration of rodents and small predators. The legs have the added benefit of providing extra shade under the barn for ducks on summer days. When choosing a foundation under the floor, an expanded clay mound is made, which pest animals do not tolerate;
  • floors. The foundation can be earthen with boards on top or concrete. But heat and dryness will be better preserved by a wooden coating. Many prefer it for foundation or for jogging;
  • walls. With any material, it will be necessary to carefully seal all the cracks, carry out appropriate insulation, it is advisable to make a window or run an air duct;
  • roof. Can be single or double. Roofing material can be any, the main thing is that it does not let water and drafts through. Most often, the choice falls on flexible ceramic tiles or slate. In a gable roof it is convenient to make an attic, which additionally retains heat. Shed is insulated with a layer of polystyrene foam.



The location of the poultry house is chosen on a small hill, where the moisture of fog and morning dew does not accumulate. It is optimal to choose the south side of the site.

Internal arrangement of the poultry house

A minimum of conditions will help to provide large mergansers with everything necessary:

  • lighting. For wild breeds, this indicator is especially important, since birds are by nature accustomed to natural clocks. The light inside should get as much as possible. On the sides of the house, not only windows are made, but also holes in the upper part of the walls. The size of the windows is small so that the direct rays do not overheat the ducks. In the autumn-winter season, you will need artificial lighting not less than 14 hours. A light bulb of 5 watts per 1 m 2 is enough. place lamps high under the ceiling;


  • heating. Large mergansers tolerate moderate frosts without problems. In harsh conditions, they already need artificial heating. For good egg production, weight gain, immunity, keep the temperature at least 12 o C of heat. For small ducklings, infrared lamps are used, for larger rooms - radiators;


  • flooring. Ducks don't like to freeze their paws. Hypothermia can even lead to death. It is very important to make a 10-15 cm flooring on the floor from a soft mixture of straw, sawdust, ash. In summer, river sand is also added. This composition also eliminates excess moisture. It is necessary to replace at least 1 time in 2 weeks, as it gets dirty;
  • nests. Made in one or more rows at different heights. It is advisable to put ladders to them, since it is not always convenient for individuals to fly inside. Wooden boxes are best for nesting. The dimensions of the nests are 25x35x40 cm. The number is according to the number of hens.


It is also necessary to remember about regular ventilation through windows. There should be no drafts. In the summer the doors are wide open.


It is advisable to divide the entire space into small areas, where families of 1 drake and 3-4 females will settle down.


Prices for infrared lamps

infrared lamp

paddock

Large mergansers need regular walking in the fresh air. Exercise should be daily, regardless of the time of year. Exceptions are made only for days with temperatures below -10 o C, when there is a risk of frostbite. Some farmers prudently make a site with the possibility of winter insulation with removable walls and a roof.


The site is fenced with a grid 1.5-2 meters high. The same mesh limiter from flights to freedom is placed on top. There should be as much space as possible. Before entering the poultry house, a long covered corridor-bridge made of wood is made. This creates a space where ducks can hide from rain and sun. Doors to the house are not closed during walking hours. At this time, airing occurs, and the need to take the feeders outside is eliminated.


The covering of the paddock should be made of grass with a mound of sawdust and sand. The mixture will absorb excess moisture, eliminating slush. Also, this option allows you to avoid heavy ice in winter. Weak ice is broken and loosened with a rake before the birds are released.

Baths

Bathing space is essential for all ducks. Wild breeds need more water space in the access zone. The ideal option is the presence of a nearby lake, pond or river with clean water. Mergansers easily learn to go to baths and come back. For additional confidence in the return, their wings are slightly clipped.

If it is problematic to find a natural reservoir, it will be organized artificially. It could be:

  • artificial pond on the site;
  • a ravine or pit filled with water;
  • large pool;
  • bathroom buried in the ground.


In any case, the water will need to be regularly drained and replaced with a new one. Dirty filling causes sticking of feathers, serious diseases and poisoning of ducks. It is good to let at least small fish into the tank so that the individuals do not lose their hunting instincts. Many farmers turn pools into sewers, make mini-fountains for a continuous flow of water.



Video - How to equip a pond for ducks

Inventory

Necessary equipment in the poultry house:

  • feeders. There are many options for duck feeders. Most often, this role is played by long narrow troughs made of plastic or wood. Often they are made with a dividing side in the center so that the birds can approach from both sides and not interfere with each other. The compartments are made narrow, slightly wider than the beak. This avoids scattering of food and the accumulation of dirt in the feeder. Another option for a "hygienic" container is plastic pipe 10 cm wide. Holes are made in it for taking food. Feeders are placed, leaving space for approach from different sides. They are filled strictly according to the number of heads, so that the excess is not scattered by ducks;



  • drinkers. Must be present both on the paddock and indoors at all times. In the summer on the street you can put ordinary plastic basins filled to the brim. Spilled water will soak into the soil without problems. Indoors, closed drip type drinkers are preferred. Automatic feeding will help the farmer, since ducks drink about 0.6 liters of liquid per day. In winter, drinking is not taken out into the street; in extreme cases, containers are filled with clean snow;


The diet of the Greater merganser is as close as possible to the natural one. This is especially true for individuals who were taken to household V adulthood. Their diet includes raw and boiled fish of various varieties, algae (kelp, rupee, distichlis), a small amount of dried and fresh larvae, meadow grass.

This list is extended for home hatched stock. Additives of millet, barley, buckwheat, bran, meat and bone meal will not harm. Mergansers often favorably perceive fodder vegetables, shell rock. It is sometimes permissible to replace fish products with skimmed milk and low-fat cottage cheese. good quality. Chickens are given crumbled egg whites. In winter, you can add fish oil to make up for the lack of vitamins.


Absolutely not allowed Rye bread(white only occasionally and dried), sugar-containing products, chemical additives. Additional minerals can be added to the feed with industrial pellets made specifically for wild breeds.

The number of meals in summer is 2 (morning and evening, walking in the afternoon), in winter - 3 (morning, lunch, evening). It is advisable to follow the regimen.


Prices for meat and bone meal

meat and bone meal

Cooking methods

Grain is given in steamed, germinated and dry form. Vegetables are grated fresh or boiled. Greens are chopped. The fish is cut into large pieces for adult mergansers or chopped for ducklings.

In the daily meal in winter, they give wet porridge from grain, fish, vegetables (carrots, beets, some potatoes). The dressing can be fish or meat broth, whey or water. The mixture is lightly salted.

In the morning and in the evening, it is preferable to give fresh or steamed algae, fish. Put dry grain mixtures with shell rock and chalk in separate feeders.

Feeders are cleaned after feeding, regularly washed from litter and dirt.


Evaluation of offspring and selection for a tribe

In the process of reproduction, the most developed and strong young animals are selected for subsequent breeding. Healthy ducklings should have:

  • healed umbilical cord;
  • live reactions to stimuli;
  • soft belly;
  • even uniform fluff;
  • shiny eyes;
  • not sagging wings;
  • weight not less than 50 g;
  • confident leg strength.

Only such chicks develop into full-fledged ducks, evenly gain weight and give offspring in the future.


Adults in the herd are taken at about the same age, similar body weight. It is necessary to take ducks and drakes of different parental lines into families. One line is not always suitable for reproduction. Mergansers with active behavior, a developed body, plumage of the correct shades without bald spots are considered good individuals.

Laying hens in the production of meat are used no longer than 8-12 months.

Video - Keeping wild ducks in the household

How to start and why breed

Since it is almost impossible to buy Greater Goganos, they are lured into nests-hollows during the seasons. Ducks willingly occupy prepared places, from where you can pick up a few eggs. Some farmers manage to tame and lure adult layers with food. This option is ideal, because then the female will hatch herself and offspring come out. You can also catch a few juveniles. They adapt to new conditions much easier and faster than mature ducks.

Children can be brought out of eggs in an incubator or by placing them under other ducks after disinfecting the shell with potassium permanganate. It is better to take eggs from several eggs, so that in the future there will be mergansers from different paternal and maternal lines on the farm.

At home wild breed kept as a decorative bird, for feathers and carcass making. Some livestock can be sold to zoos, botanical gardens or eco farms. Hunters, biologists and people with an interest in ornithology love to keep such a duck. Mergansers are rarely used for meat because of the fishy taste of the meat. This disadvantage is eliminated only with generations as a result of a gradual change in feeding to a standard home scheme.

Making a hollow

Holes for luring are made from wide wood logs with a rotten core. Sufficient height - 70 cm. The diameter inside the outlet must be at least 30 cm.

Most often, aspen is used. They make chocks, split them. A gutter is formed, an inlet is cut out. Tighten the parts with wire or fasten with planks and nails. They nail the bottom, the roof. Top coat with an aqueous solution of ash. The cracks are covered with clay. Wood dust with sawdust and straw is poured inside.


Holes are placed in dense thickets of reeds or hung 3-5 m on trees. If the "houses" are left on the ground, they are tilted slightly forward to prevent water from collecting inside and to facilitate the exit of the chicks. The installation must be carried out before the arrival of the mergansers. Seagulls, lapwings, sandpipers will become good neighbors. They are good guards against predators for their family and birds living nearby.

Eggs or chicks are taken out very carefully after removing the lid.

By the same principle, duck houses are made.


Incubation

If eggs are taken from the nests, incubation is carried out for hatching. Before starting the process, the contents under the shell are translucent with an ovoscope to exclude material marriage. In good eggs, the yolk lies in the center, the network of blood vessels is clearly visible, the protein has no spots, the air chamber is located near the blunt top. Eggs are dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate, wiped and placed in the device.


  • Stage 1. Lasts a week. On it, the formation of organs occurs, the heart begins to beat. Requires a temperature of 38 about C, humidity 70% and 4 coups per day;
  • Stage 2. Lasts 10 days (from 8 days). The skeleton is being formed. Temperature - 37.8 ° C, humidity 45-50%, 4-6 turns per day, 2 airings per day for 15-20 minutes to avoid overheating, 1 spraying in 24 hours;
  • Stage 3. It takes 8-10 days (from 18 days). Temperature - 37.8 o C, humidity, humidity - 60%. 5 flips and up to 3 sprays per day (facilitates pecking of the shell);
  • Stage 4. From day 28 until hatching. Temperature - 37.5 ° C, humidity - 85%. There is no need to flip. Spray periodically;
  • Stage 5. It lasts a day after the birth of ducklings. Before drying, the chicks are in an incubator, then they are transferred to a box and placed for several days at a temperature of 20-24 ° C. The chicks are watered and fed with crumbs of boiled yolk.

A healthy viable duckling should weigh about 65g.


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