Smew

Description:

Male smews have a white crested head with a black face and v-shaped black patch beneath the crest. The back and rump are dark gray to black and the flanks are vermiculated white and black. The breast is white with two black stripes extending forward from the back. The wings are blackish-gray with white wing patches. The long narrow serrated bill is black and the legs and feet are grayish.

Female: Female smews have a chestnut head with a white cheek patch, chin, and throat. The breast and flanks are dull gray and the upperparts are dark gray. The wings are dark gray with white wing patches. The bill, legs, and feet are similar to the males.

Breeding: The smew breeds from northern Scandinavia east through northern and central Russia and northern Siberia. There are no breeding records of the smew in North America. Smews prefer forested wetland systems where they nest in tree cavities or nest boxes and lay an average of 6 to 9 eggs.

Migrating and Wintering: The majority of smews can be found wintering on lakes, rivers, and estuaries in the northern Mediterranean region, Persian Gulf, northern India, Korea, eastern China, and Japan. The smew is an annual visitor to the Aleutian Islands and Alaska and a very rare visitor elsewhere on west and east coasts of North America.

Population: Although accurate population information does not exist, smew populations are thought to be stable.

Food habits: Smews dive to feed on small fishes and aquatic invertebrates.