"Brazilian merganser The Brazilian merganser (""Mergus octosetaceus"") is a duck in the typical merganser genus. It is one of the six most threatened waterfowl in the world with possibly fewer than 250 birds in the wild and currently 4 kept in captivity at 2 different Brazilian locations. The origin of its name is from its long, sharp-edged beak that has a great number of teeth-looking edges. This merganser is a dark, slender duck with a shiny dark-green hood with a long crest, which is usually shorter and more worn-looking in females. Upperparts are dark grey while the breast is light"
"Red-breasted merganser The red-breasted merganser (""Mergus serrator"") is a diving duck, one of the sawbills. The genus name is a Latin word used by Pliny and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified waterbird, and ""serrator"" is a sawyer from Latin ""serra"", ""saw"". The red-breasted merganser was one of the many bird species originally described by Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his ""Systema Naturae"", where it was given the binomial name of ""Mergus serrator"". The adult red-breasted merganser is long with a wingspan. It has a spiky crest and long thin red bill with serrated edges."
"Hooded merganser The hooded merganser (""Lophodytes cucullatus"") is a species of small duck. It is the only extant species in the genus Lophodytes. The genus name derives from the Greek language: lophos meaning 'crest', and dutes meaning diver. The bird is striking in appearance; both sexes have crests that they can raise or lower, and the breeding plumage of the male is handsomely patterned and coloured. The hooded merganser has a sawbill but is not classified as a typical merganser. Hooded mergansers are the second smallest species of merganser, with only the smew of Europe and Asia being smaller, and"
"it also is the only merganser whose native habitat is restricted to North America. A species of fossil duck from the Late Pleistocene of Vero Beach, Florida, was described as ""Querquedula floridana"" (a genus now included in ""Anas""), but upon reexamination turned out to be a species closely related to the hooded merganser; it is now named ""Lophodytes floridanus"", but the exact relationship between this bird and the modern species is unknown. The hooded merganser was one of the many bird species originally described by Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his ""Systema Naturae"", where it was given"
"hunting and predation by introduced mammals. The bird was not flightless, but rather hard to flush; it preferred to hide between rocks when pursued. The last sighting was of a pair shot on January 9, 1902. It was not found in a 1909 search, and a thorough 1972/1973 exploration of possible habitat concluded that it was long extinct (Williams & Weller, 1974). Subsequent fossil discoveries suggest that this merganser was previously resident in the South Island, and on Stewart Island/Rakiura in New Zealand. Fossils of a subspecies or closely related species have also been found on the Chatham Islands. There"
"from ""mergus"" and ""anser"", Latin for ""goose"" In 1843 John James Audubon used the name ""Buff-breasted Merganser"" in addition to ""goosander"" in his book ""The Birds of America"". There are three subspecies, differing in only minor detail: It is long with a wingspan and a weight of ; males average slightly larger than females but with some overlap. Like other species in the genus ""Mergus"", it has a crest of longer head feathers, but these usually lie smoothly rounded behind the head, not normally forming an erect crest. Adult males in breeding plumage are easily distinguished, the body white with"
"Mergus Mergus is the genus of the typical mergansers, fish-eating ducks in the subfamily Anatinae. The genus name is a Latin word used by Pliny and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified waterbird. The hooded merganser, often termed ""Mergus cucullatus"", is not of this genus but closely related. The other ""aberrant"" merganser, the smew (""Mergellus albellus""), is phylogenetically closer to goldeneyes (""Bucephala""). Although they are seaducks, most of the mergansers prefer riverine habitats, with only the red-breasted merganser being common at sea. These large fish-eaters typically have black-and-white, brown and/or green hues in their plumage, and most have"
"Common merganser The common merganser (North American) or goosander (Eurasian) (""Mergus merganser"") is a large duck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, northern and central Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats fish and nests in holes in trees. The first formal description of the common merganser was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ""Systema Naturae"". He introduced the current binomial name ""Mergus merganser"". The genus name is a Latin word used by Pliny and other Roman authors to refer to an unspecified waterbird, and ""merganser"" is derived"
"in the Alps. They are very scarce in Ireland, with regular breeding confined to a few pairs in County Wicklow. The goosander is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies. Common merganser The common merganser (North American) or goosander (Eurasian) (""Mergus merganser"") is a large duck of rivers and lakes in forested areas of Europe, northern and central Asia, and North America. The common merganser eats fish and nests in holes in trees. The first formal description of the common merganser was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in"
"species in captivity in Europe and most specimens recorded in the wild are regarded as escapes, a small number of birds have been regarded as genuinely wild vagrants. Britain's current first accepted record is a bird which was seen on North Uist in October 2000. Small numbers are seen regularly in Dublin, but these are presumed to be escapes. The hooded merganser is a diving predator that largely hunts by sight while under water. Most studies report that its diet varies according to circumstances, usually being dominated by fishes (44-81%). In addition it feeds on aquatic insects (13-20% of its"
"Greenland, Europe, and Asia. It nests in sheltered locations on the ground near water. It is migratory and many northern breeders winter in coastal waters further south. The fastest duck ever recorded was a red-breasted merganser that attained a top airspeed of 100 mph while being pursued by an airplane. This eclipsed the previous speed record held by a canvasback clocked at 72 mph. The red-breasted merganser is one of the species to which the ""Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds"" (AEWA) applies. Red-breasted merganser The red-breasted merganser (""Mergus serrator"") is a diving duck, one of the sawbills."
"New Zealand merganser The New Zealand merganser, Auckland merganser or Auckland Islands merganser (""Mergus australis"") was a typical merganser which is now extinct. This duck was similar in size to the red-breasted merganser. The adult male had a dark reddish-brown head, crest and neck, with bluish black mantle and tail and slate grey wings. The female was slightly smaller with a shorter crest. This bird was first collected when a French expedition led by the explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville on the ships ""L'Astrolabe"" and ""La Zelee"" visited the Auckland Islands in 1840. Its decline was caused by a combination of"
"Scaly-sided merganser The scaly-sided merganser or Chinese merganser (""Mergus squamatus"") is an endangered typical merganser (genus ""Mergus""). It lives in temperate East Asia, breeding in the north and wintering in the south. This striking sea duck has a thin red bill and a scaled dark pattern on the flanks and rump. Both sexes have a crest of wispy elongated feathers, reaching almost to the shoulders in adult males and being fairly short in females and immatures. The adult male has a black head and neck, white breast and underparts, and blackish mantle and wings, except for the white innerwings. The"
"the binomial name of ""Mergus cucullatus"". The hooded merganser is a sexually dimorphic species. The adult female has a greyish-brown body, with a narrow white patch over the lower breast and belly. She has a light reddish-brown crest extending from the back of the head. During the nonbreeding season the male looks similar to the female, except that his eyes are yellow and the female's eyes are brown. In breeding plumage the dorsal areas and the head, neck and breast of the mature male are mainly black with white markings; there are large white patches on either side of the"
"exists a short remark mentioning ""a merganser"" found on Campbell Island in McCormick (1842), but this may just as well refer to the semi-marine Campbell teal which is otherwise missing in his notes: he only mentions the Pacific black duck (""a New Zealand species of duck""). New Zealand merganser The New Zealand merganser, Auckland merganser or Auckland Islands merganser (""Mergus australis"") was a typical merganser which is now extinct. This duck was similar in size to the red-breasted merganser. The adult male had a dark reddish-brown head, crest and neck, with bluish black mantle and tail and slate grey wings."
"very susceptible to harm from many types of pollution, some of which are poisons that accumulate in the food organisms, directly poisoning predators high in the food chain, and some of which simply reduce the populations of their prey. Hooded merganser The hooded merganser (""Lophodytes cucullatus"") is a species of small duck. It is the only extant species in the genus Lophodytes. The genus name derives from the Greek language: lophos meaning 'crest', and dutes meaning diver. The bird is striking in appearance; both sexes have crests that they can raise or lower, and the breeding plumage of the male"
"such as the mergansers and smew, have serrated edges to their bills to help them grip their prey and are often known as ""sawbills"". Other seaducks forage by diving underwater, taking molluscs or crustaceans from the sea floor. The Mergini take on the eclipse plumage during the late summer and molt into their breeding plumage during the winter. There are twenty-two species in ten genera: Below is a phylogeny based on a mitogenomic study of the placement of the Labrador duck and the diving ""goose"" ""Chendytes lawi"". Mergini The seaducks (""Mergini"") are a tribe of the duck subfamily of birds,"
"Mockingbird Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the Mimidae family. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly and in rapid succession. There are about 17 species in three genera. These do not appear to form a monophyletic lineage: ""Mimus"" and ""Nesomimus"" are quite closely related; their closest living relatives appear to be thrashers, such as the sage thrasher. ""Melanotis"" is more distinct; it seems to represent a very ancient basal lineage of Mimidae. The only mockingbird commonly found"
"emitted in flight. Males make a barking dog-like call, females make a harsh ""rrr-rrrr"" and the contact call ia a soft ""rak-rak-rak"". Ducklings give a high pitched ""ik-ik-ik"". Depending on the availability of suitable nesting and feeding sites, Brazilian merganser pairs occupy permanent territories of eight to seventeen kilometer stretches of rivers. Tree cavities, rock crevices, or disused burrows predominantly made by armadillos are the ideal places for these mergansers to build their nests. It is thought the breeding season is during the austral winter, when rain is minimal and water levels are low, but it may vary geographically. The"
"diet) and other aquatic invertebrates such as crabs and crayfish (22-50%). Males and females of the hooded merganser form monogamous pairs and they remain together until the female has selected a nesting cavity and completed laying her clutch. After that, the male leaves the female to incubate and care for the brood. Females will actively seek out cavities in dead trees or artificial nest boxes such as those provided for nesting wood ducks. They prefer cavities 4–15 feet off the ground. Breeding occurs anytime between the end of February and the end of June, depending on the region. The female"
"ecology and conservation threats to the scaly-sided merganser were reported in 2012. Threats include sand mining, fishing, riparian vegetation destruction, habitat fragmentation, and water pollution. Recommended conservation measures include provision of artificial nest boxes, informing local residents of the merganser's status, fishing regulation, protection of critical habitat, controlling recreation on breeding rivers and the raising of domestic ducks in areas where the mergansers winter, management of hydrology in ways that protect and benefit the merganser, and annual population surveys at key breeding rivers. Scaly-sided merganser The scaly-sided merganser or Chinese merganser (""Mergus squamatus"") is an endangered typical merganser (genus ""Mergus"")."
"Budgerigar The budgerigar (; ""Melopsittacus undulatus"") is a long-tailed, seed-eating parrot usually nicknamed the budgie, or in American English, the parakeet. Budgies are the only species in the genus ""Melopsittacus"". Naturally, the species is green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings. Budgies are bred in captivity with colouring of blues, whites, yellows, greys, and even with small crests. Juveniles and chicks are monomorphic, while adults are told apart by their cere colouring, and their behaviour. The origin of the budgie's name is unclear. First recorded in 1805, budgerigars are popular pets around the world"
"Merlin (bird) The merlin (""Falco columbarius"") is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter. Males typically have wingspans of , with females being slightly larger. They are swift fliers and skilled hunters who specialize in preying on small birds in the size range of sparrows to quail. The merlin has for centuries been well regarded as a falconry bird."
"Phengaris Phengaris is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies in the subfamily Polyommatinae. Commonly, these butterflies are called large blues, which if referring to a particular species is ""P. arion"", a species resident in Europe and some parts of Asia. ""Phengaris"" is currently defined to include the genus Maculinea. The type species of the latter was the Alcon blue (""""M."" alcon""). This species was found to be less closely related to most other supposed members of ""Maculinea"" than the traditional ""Phengaris"" species, and hence the two genera were merged to form a monophyletic group. Alternatively, ""Maculinea"" could be restricted to the"
"Some fossil/subfossil members of this genus have been described: The Early Oligocene booby """"Sula"" ronzoni"" was at first mistakenly believed to be a typical merganser. A Late Serravallian (12–13 million years ago) fossil sometimes attributed to ""Mergus"", found in the Sajóvölgyi Formation of Mátraszőlős, Hungary, probably belongs to ""Mergellus"". The affiliations of the mysterious """"Anas"" albae"" from the Messinian (c. 5–7 million years ago) of Hungary are undetermined; it was initially believed to be a typical merganser too. Mergus Mergus is the genus of the typical mergansers, fish-eating ducks in the subfamily Anatinae. The genus name is a Latin word"
"Scarlet tanager The scarlet tanager (""Piranga olivacea"") is a medium-sized American songbird. Until recently placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified as belonging to the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species' plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family, although the ""Piranga"" species lacks the thick conical bill (well suited to seed and insect eating) that many cardinals possess. The genus name ""Piranga"" is from Tupi ""Tijepiranga"", the name for an unknown small bird, and the specific ""olivacea"" is from New Latin ""olivaceus"", ""olive-green"". The scarlet tanager, a"
"in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flying fish), and sometimes indulge in kleptoparasitism, harassing other birds to force them to regurgitate their food. The species is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Christmas frigatebird was once considered to belong to the species ""Fregata aquila"" but in 1914 the Australian ornithologist Gregory Mathews proposed that the Christmas frigatebird should be considered as a separate species with the binomial name ""Fregata andrewsi"" in honour of the English paleontogist Charles Andrews. Of the four other species within the genus ""Fregata"", genetic analysis has shown that"
"The male bird sings a series of warbled notes to defend his nesting territory. These birds have declined in some areas where sagebrush has been removed but are still common where suitable habitat remains. The continued decline of sagebrush habitats in western North America is cause for alarm for this and other sagebrush dependent species. Sage thrasher The sage thrasher (""Oreoscoptes montanus"") is a medium-sized passerine bird from the family Mimidae, which also includes mockingbirds, tremblers, and New World catbirds. It is the only member of the genus Oreoscoptes. This seems less close to the Caribbean thrashers, but rather to"
"Sage thrasher The sage thrasher (""Oreoscoptes montanus"") is a medium-sized passerine bird from the family Mimidae, which also includes mockingbirds, tremblers, and New World catbirds. It is the only member of the genus Oreoscoptes. This seems less close to the Caribbean thrashers, but rather to the mockingbirds instead (Hunt ""et al."" 2001, Barber ""et al."" 2004). ""O. montanus"" are pale grey-brown on the upperparts and white on the underparts with dark streaks. They have a slim straight relatively short bill, yellow eyes and a long tail, although not as long as that of other thrashers. As its name suggests, this"
"Thus, they are opportunistic feeders; regarding fish, they will probably eat any species that has the correct elongated shape and small size. Scaly-sided mergansers nest in trees, as typical for the merganser and goldeneye lineage of sea ducks. Preferred nesting trees are such species as daimyo oak (""Quercus dentata"", ), Chozenia, Linden and Ussuri poplar (""Populus ussuriensis"", 大青杨; a balsam poplar). Easy breed in artificial nest boxes on the rivers with destroyed forests on banks. They are sympatric with Mandarin ducks (""Aix galericulata""); perhaps competing for nesting holes (which neither can excavate themselves). In its winter quarters, the scaly-sided merganser"
"Turkey (bird) The turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris, which is native to the Americas. Males of both turkey species have a distinctive fleshy wattle or protuberance that hangs from the top of the beak (called a snood). They are among the largest birds in their ranges. As in many galliformes, the male is larger and much more colorful than the female. Turkeys are classed in the family of Phasianidae (pheasants, partridges, francolins, junglefowl, grouse, and relatives thereof) in the taxonomic order of Galliformes. The genus ""Meleagris"" is the only extant genus in the subfamily Meleagridinae, formerly"
"dropping, primarily due to habitat fragmentation and loss. The Mexican government has named the ""longirostris"" subspecies as a taxon of ""special concern"". Blue mockingbird The blue mockingbird (""Melanotis caerulescens"") is a species of bird in the Mimidae family. It is endemic to Mexico, but has occurred as a vagrant in the southern United States. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest. The blue mockingbird is uniformly blue on its back, tail, wings, head and underbelly. This color is a result of feather structure rather than pigment, and"
"red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flying fish), and indulges in kleptoparasitism less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. When German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin first described the great frigatebird in 1789, he thought it was a small pelican, and so named it ""Pelecanus minor"". Due to the rules of taxonomy, its species name of ""minor"" was retained despite being placed in a separate genus by the Australian ornithologist Gregory Mathews in 1914. This has"