The population size and breeding range of the Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus

A global population estimate of approximately 4,660 Scaly-sided Mergansers (Mergus squamatus) prior to reproduction was determined through surveys conducted between 2000 and 2012. This Endangered species' breeding range spans about 7,800 kilometers across 120 rivers in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range (Russia), Changbai Mountains (China), and potentially DPR Korea. The study applied breeding densities from surveyed areas to un-surveyed rivers within the range, clarifying that the species' range does not extend as far west as previously thought. While habitat loss in China likely reduced population size and range, particularly in Heilongjiang Province, no comparable historical data exist to assess changes definitively.

SOLOVYEVA, D. V., LIU, P., ANTONOV, A. I., AVERIN, A. A., PRONKEVICH, V. V., SHOKHRIN, V. P., VARTANYAN, S. L., & CRANSWICK, P. A. (2014). The population size and breeding range of the Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus. Bird Conservation International, 24(4), 393–405. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0959270913000610