Smew

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Assam’s Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary recently recorded the Smew (Mergellus albellus), a rare migratory waterbird, for the first time.

About Smew

• It is a medium-sized duck belonging to the family Anatidae. 
• It was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus.
• Scientific Name: Mergellus albellus

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Smew Habitat and Distribution

• The smew species breed in the northern taiga of Europe and Asia. 
• They winter in sheltered coasts or inland lakes of the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, Great Britain, Caspian Sea, East China, Korea and Japan. 
• The smew is an occasional visitor to the Indian Subcontinent. 
• The smew species inhabit freshwater lakes, reservoirs, flooded woods, ice-free rivers, sheltered bays, estuaries, lagoons and tidal creeks. 

Smew Features

• It is characterized by its distinctive narrow bill with toothlike edges and a hooked tip, adapted for catching fish. 
• 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. 
• It forages by diving from the surface. It is able to swim underwater when pursuing prey. 

Smew Conservation Status

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

Key Facts about Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located on the southern part of the Brahmaputra River in the Nagaon District of Assam.
• It forms an integral part of the Laokhowa-Burachapori ecosystem and is a notified buffer of the Kazairanga Tiger Reserve.
• It is a part of the Brahmaputra valley.
• The sanctuary is surrounded by human-dominated areas on all sides except for the north. 
• Flora: The vegetation composition of Laokhowa can be broadly categorized into alluvial grassland, alluvial forest, moist  deciduous forest, and tropical semi-evergreen forest.
• Fauna:
  • The sanctuary is home to the great Indian-one horned rhinoceros, elephants, royal Bengal tigers, Asiatic water buffaloes and more than 225 species of birds.
  • Some of the birds spotted here are the spot-billed pelican, little and large cormorant, egret, open-billed stork, brahminy kite, pond heron, etc.

News: IT