Races:
Mergus merganser merganser Linnaeus, 1758
Mergus merganser comatus Salvadori, 1895

No Synonyms

Description

Quite common breeding migrant. Inhabits lakes and rivers where fish is plentiful, both on plains and in mountains to 1500-2000 m. Appears early before ice breaks, mid February or early March, but at Markakol’ lake sometimes as late as end April or early May (Berezovikov, 1989a); and migration finished mid – end April. They fly singly, in pairs or in small flocks. Breeds in separate pairs. Nest is built from dry grass lined with plenty of down near water, in tree holes, in cliffs between stones or on ground under bushes. Clutches of 8-15, usually 8-9 eggs in third decade May – first half June. Female incubates about 32 days. Juveniles hatch early June, but mainly first half of July, and fly end June – late September. Sometimes several broods join with one female. Autumn migration is late; end September – October and continues until water freezes in November – mid December.

Races

Goosander( Mergus merganser merganser )

Mergus merganser merganser Linnaeus, 1758 Male in breeding plumage has darker upper parts; light stripes on rump are more conspicuous and sharper; black edges on scapulars and inner secondaries are narrow, no more than 1.2 mm wide. Female head is dark chestnut. Male bill length 51-61 (57); female 40-52 (48) mm. Breeds in Kokchetav uplands, in Kalbinskiy Altai at Sibinskiye lakes, in Western and Southern Altai on Ul’ba and Bukhtarma rivers, on Saur, Tarbagatay and Dzhungarskiy Alatau ridges. Widespread on migration. Rare wintering on Irtysh river, Bukhtarma river, Markakol’ lake and lakes of southern and south-eastern Kazakhstan; in mild winters on the Aral Sea at Barsa-Kelmes.

Mergus merganser comatus Salvadori, 1895 Male in breeding plumage has lighter upper parts; light stripes on rump are more dense and a little less sharp; black edges on scapulars are wide, reaching 2.2 mm. Female head is somewhat lighter. Male bill length 48-56 (51.5), female 40-47 (44) mm. Breeds in Tien Shan, two broods recorded mid-June 2002 on Bartagoy reservoir.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.