Common Merganser female preening
Between energetic intervals among a group of Common Merganser males and females (such as seen in the previous image www.flickr.com/photos/luminouscompositions/52002325527/in... ), there were periods of rest and relaxation. Those times included the maintenance activity of preening, which this image of a female shows well. I particularly like how the serrated mandibles are evident in this photo, a feature that is recognized in the French common name “bec-scie,” meaning saw-bill. Those pointed projections are an adaptation to grasp the slippery fish that are their main prey, which they dive after. This bird was at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Common Merganser female preening
Between energetic intervals among a group of Common Merganser males and females (such as seen in the previous image www.flickr.com/photos/luminouscompositions/52002325527/in... ), there were periods of rest and relaxation. Those times included the maintenance activity of preening, which this image of a female shows well. I particularly like how the serrated mandibles are evident in this photo, a feature that is recognized in the French common name “bec-scie,” meaning saw-bill. Those pointed projections are an adaptation to grasp the slippery fish that are their main prey, which they dive after. This bird was at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.