- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold scaly-sided merganser, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the scaly-sided merganser
The scaly-sided merganser, or Chinese merganser, is a duck of the genus Mergus that breeds on rivers in primary forest in the southeastern Russian Far East and northeastern China, and winters mainly in central and southern China. It has a thin red bill, a wispy crest and a scaled dark pattern on the flanks and rump. The adult male has a black head and neck and white underparts, while the female has a buffish head. It is shy and dives repeatedly to catch aquatic insect larvae, frogs and small fish with its serrated bill, and it nests in trees.
Scaly-sided Merganser facts
- Its diet can consist largely of stonefly and caddisfly larvae when available, shifting towards fish as summer progresses.
- It nests in tree holes and also breeds in artificial nest boxes.
- Most birds breed in the Russian Far East, which holds about 85 percent of the population.
- Birds tend to move upriver while foraging, since stirred-up sediment may alert prey downstream.
Where to see scaly-sided merganser in the U.S.
3 zoos across 2 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding scaly-sided merganser by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
Massachusetts· 2
Ohio· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
