Bergander

/ˈbɜːrɡændər/ noun

Definition

A large diving duck with distinctive markings, found in northern regions, also called a shelduck or mergander.

Etymology

From Germanic 'berg' (mountain, highland) and 'ender' or 'gander' (male duck), describing a duck of the highlands or high seas.

Kelly Says

The bergander is one of nature's pickiest birds—it dives so deep that early naturalists weren't sure if it was a duck or something between a duck and a diver! It represents those in-between animals that challenged medieval classification systems.

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