Smew - Ontario, Canada

On 26 December Jim Robinson photographed an ABA Code-3 Smew (Mergellus albellus), the other merganser, in Whitby Harbor, Whitby, Ontario, Canada. It was seen from the pier parking lot at Whitby Harbor and across from the Whitby marina, most recently by the breakwall. The bird has not yet been aged but it has a “female” plumage.

This species breeds from Sweden east to eastern Siberia. They winter in western and central Europe, eastern Mediterranean Basin, Black Sea, southern Russia, Middle East, eastern China, Korea and Japan.  During severe winters some are displaced farther south (Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 1).  In the ABA Area, they are migrants in the western Aleutian and Pribilof Islands.  In winter, stragglers have been recorded south to California and are accidental on the Niagara River (Ontario-New York), southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and Rhode Island.  They are raised in captivity so provenance has been in question for birds in the east (ABA Checklist, Fifth Edition, DeBenedictis et al.).

Comments

[Alan Wormington]

Why can't this Smew sighting be listed as "Whitby, Ontario" without Canada being attached? I don't see "USA" attached to the other listings.

The reasons:

(1) the writer of these posts is American and obviously considers Canada to be "foreign territory" (even though both countries are supposed to be embraced equally as part of the ABA Checklist Area);

(2) the American birding public possibly does not know where Ontario is located, so let's add "Canada" to ensure there is no confusion. (Thank goodness we Canadians are educated as to the location of the various states that are listed for other rarities!)

And one more thing while we are here:

The location for the Smew is actually Whitby Harbour, an official place name, so "Harbor" in the post is an obvious error.