Smew

Smew Latest News

The smew was recently sighted for the first time in the Kaziranga during the 7th Waterbird Count at Rowmari-Donduwa beels (Laokhowa) buffer of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve sites.

About Smew

• It is a small diving duck formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. 
• Scientific Name: Mergellus albellus

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Smew Habitat and Distribution

• • Smews breed in the northern taiga of Europe and the Palearctic. 
  • They need trees for breeding and prefer to live on fish-rich lakes and slow rivers. 
  • Smews spend winters on sheltered coasts or inland lakes of the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, northern Germany, and the Low Countries, with a small number reaching Great Britain.

Smew Features

• • It is a compact diving duck with a delicate bill. 
  • The male is white with a black mask and a black back, the female is grey with a reddish-brown head and white cheek.
  • In flight, it shows black and white wings. 
  • The smew’s bill has a hooked tip and serrated edges, which help it catch fish when it dives for them.

Smew Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Least Concern‘ under the IUCN Red List.

Source: TOI