rhythmaning: (violin)
rhythmaning ([personal profile] rhythmaning) wrote2009-02-01 05:08 pm

Funny ducks.

Walking beside the Water of Leith – and last week on the canal, too – I have often seen large ducks with a somewhat vicious look hooked beak. I know these ducks are either goosander or merganser, but I can never remember which.

Instead I just call them “funny ducks”.

P1290005



After taking this picture last Thursday, I once more had to look them up in my bird book to see if they were goosander or merganser.

I realised why I find it so hard to remember. They are goosander; the latin binomial for which is Mergus merganser.

So goosander are M. merganser.

Just to make sure we’ve got this straight, merganser are M. serator.