Smew

Smew
Male (top) and female smew, Texel, Netherlands
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Mergellus
Species:
M. albellus
Binomial name
Mergellus albellus
Range of M. albellus
  Breeding
  Non-breeding
  Passage
Synonyms
  • Mergus albellus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Mergus minutus Linnaeus, 1758

The smew (Mergellus albellus) is a species of duck and is the only living member of the genus Mergellus. The genus is closely related to Mergus and is sometimes included in it; genetic studies have shown that it is the sister taxon to Mergus and Lophodytes. The smew has hybridised with the common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula).