An unforgettable sight - one-day-old chicks make their first "flight" in their life, fearlessly jumping out of the parental tree trunk!
Common merganser (Mergus merganser) is a large (larger than a mallard) duck with unusual habits. Birds nest in hollows, one female incubates eggs for 30-32 days. After hatching, after staying in the nest for a day, walk two, they jump out of the hollow with a parachute and run after the female to the water.
Unlike most ducks, the Common merganser feeds on fish - this is evidenced by the sharp teeth on the hook-shaped curved beak, with which the birds hold the slippery prey.
Rare species - included in Appendix II of the EU Directive on the protection of rare birds, Appendix III of the Berne Convention, Appendix II of the Bonn Convention. It is included in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus.
Video - Igor Byshnev (AVES).
Belarus, Vitebsk region, Miory district, May 18, 2021
Thanks to Vladimir Zhabenk and Viktor Kozlovsky.
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