# Smew (*Mergellus albellus*) The Smew is a small, beautiful duck with a striking black and white pattern. They love to swim and dive in the water, making them fun to watch as they hunt for fish and insects. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Smew](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mergellus_albellus%252C_Killingworth_Lake%252C_Northumberland_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: MPF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mergellus_albellus%252C_Killingworth_Lake%252C_Northumberland_1.jpg) ## Appearance The Smew is a small diving duck with a distinctive look. Males are bright white with a black back and a striking black mask around their eyes, resembling a stylish tuxedo. Females have a grey body with a reddish-brown crown and nape, and a white cheek patch. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Mergellus ## Interesting facts - It's the smallest kind of 'sawbill' duck, famous for eating fish! - Smew males have a special 'eyeliner' patch that makes them look super cool! - Smews often use old woodpecker nests high up in trees to lay eggs. - They fly thousands of kilometers each year, seeking warmer waters! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Navigator:** Smew can swim and dive deep using its powerful legs because this helps them chase fast-moving fish underwater. - **Tree-Dwelling Nursery:** Smew has the ability to nest in old tree holes because this provides a safe, elevated spot for their eggs away from many predators. - **Keen Underwater Vision:** Smew can spot prey quickly underwater because its eyes are adapted for clear vision in murky water. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 38-44 cm - **Wingspan:** 64-73 cm - **Weight:** 0.45-0.65 kg - **Lifespan:** 8-12 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 6-9 - **Incubation:** 28-30 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding Smews are expert underwater hunters, mostly eating small fish, insects, and other water critters. - **Primary Foods:** Small fish, Aquatic insects, Tadpoles, Small crustaceans - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Roach](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roach) (*Rutilus rutilus*) — A common small fish prey in freshwaters. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-eagle) (*Haliaeetus albicilla*) — Large raptors can prey on adult Smews. - **Depends on:** Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker (*Picoides tridactylus*) — Smews use their old nesting holes for shelter. - **Hunts:** Great Diving Beetle (*Dytiscus marginalis*) — Aquatic insects like these are a food source. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and do not try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Smew? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Smew? 38-44 cm ### What is Smew's wingspan? 64-73 cm ### How much does Smew weigh? 0.45-0.65 kg ### How long does Smew live? 8-12 years ### How fast can Smew move? 80 km/h ### What does Smew eat? Smews are expert underwater hunters, mostly eating small fish, insects, and other water critters. ### Where is Smew usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Uminonakamichi Seaside Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/uminonakamichi-seaside-park) — Kyushu, JP · Park - [Tomboike Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tomboike-park) — Kansai, JP · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Smew: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/smew)