As one of the oldest wild duck species on Earth, the Chinese merganser has thrived for at least 10 million years. It is currently the breeding season for this species. The "nest departure" of ducklings marks the official entry of a new generation from the nest into wild survival. What survival skills will the mother duck teach her ducklings next? Let's take a look.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Chinese Merganser Behavior Today, the ducklings that left the nest are already following their mother in the water, learning essential skills. Through years of observation and conservation efforts, researchers and protectors have discovered that this rare waterfowl harbors several puzzling natural mysteries. Unique behaviors such as separation, recognition, and homing have yet to be fully understood.
In the middle reaches of the Headstream Baihe River, artificial nests for Chinese mergansers are distributed on one bank, while natural nests predominate on the other. Zhang Chen's bird research team is studying these endangered waterfowl, focusing on aspects like foraging choices and behaviors.
During each breeding and incubation season of the Chinese merganser, a peculiar phenomenon consistently occurs: after mating, the male ducks quietly depart, collectively disappearing from their role as guardians of the home. Researchers speculate that the males leave, on one hand, possibly to avoid attracting predators with their vibrant plumage, and on the other hand, to voluntarily vacate food resources in the habitat, ensuring ample survival space for the females and ducklings.
So, where do these male ducks go? Sun Liangbin, a ranger at the Jilin Yuanshi Wetland National Nature Reserve, explains that some males fly to larger water areas, such as near the Songhua River, where food is more abundant.
Another mysterious phenomenon is that after ducklings leave the nest, cross-family grouping often occurs. Ducklings from different families mix together and are led by a single female duck in foraging activities. There are even instances of female ducks competing for ducklings.
Zhang Chen, a doctoral candidate at the School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, suggests: "Perhaps the mother duck is not in optimal physical condition to care for so many ducklings, leading to failure in the competition. For the mother duck that successfully claims the ducklings, having more offspring increases the survival probability of her own ducklings when facing external predators."
Additionally, the remarkable homing ability of Chinese mergansers is astonishing. Despite migrating thousands of miles, they consistently and accurately locate their previous nesting sites for reproduction. Whether they rely on the Earth's magnetic field for navigation or possess exceptional memory for location remains an unsolved natural mystery.
Zhang Chen adds: "The population of Chinese mergansers is very small, so we cannot conduct activities like banding or blood sampling. Generally, Chinese mergansers reuse old nest boxes from the previous year, saving time and effort in searching for new ones. If they successfully bred in a nest box before, it indicates the nest box may not have been discovered by predators, making it a safe choice for continued reproduction."
Protecting Biodiversity to Paint a Harmonious Picture of Humans and Nature Protecting the Chinese merganser is not only about conserving a rare species but also about deciphering the codes of nature—a process that requires time and scientific research to gradually unveil answers. As an "indicator species" for the ecological environment, the rise and fall of the Chinese merganser population directly reflects the health of the regional ecosystem.
Changbai Mountain boasts a typical temperate mountain forest ecosystem, with a forest coverage rate as high as 87%. Every March, Chinese mergansers return north from their wintering grounds in the Yangtze River basin.
Furthermore, in 2024, the "king of the forest," the Siberian tiger, reappeared in the reserve after 30 years, its agile figure moving through the woods. Rare mammals like the yellow-throated marten frequently appear, jumping and playing among the trees. Species such as the sable and sika deer inhabit the area freely. Birds like the golden eagle and mandarin duck circle and perch on branches, while cold-water fish such as the taimen and lenok swim freely underwater.
Within this 1,964-square-kilometer reserve, they form a complete and stable ecological community. The number of nationally key protected wild animal and plant species has increased from 60 in 2007 to 114 in 2023.
Zhang Chen notes: "During our research, we found that in areas where Chinese mergansers are distributed, the environment is of higher quality, and the populations of other species are positively correlated with the number of Chinese mergansers."
Shi Guoqiang, head of the Protection Department at the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve Management Center, states: "The appearance of the Siberian tiger, a flagship species of the Northeast forest ecosystem, in the reserve indicates a significant improvement in the integrity and connectivity of the Changbai Mountain ecosystem."
The vibrant vitality of lush mountains and clear waters is the result of persistent efforts and scientific conservation. By comparing satellite images of the same location along the river's hydropower station taken by the "Jilin-1" satellite in October 2020 and October 2025, we can perceive ecological changes.
In recent years, the reserve has restored over 7 kilometers of natural river channels. The altered natural river flow and blocked fish migration routes have been rehabilitated.
Jilin Province coordinates biodiversity protection within the forestry and grassland system, fully integrating biodiversity conservation into the legal framework and institutional闭环. Xu Tao, Deputy Director of the Natural Protected Areas Management Office of the Jilin Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, explains: "In 2024, Jilin Province enacted and implemented the 'Jilin Province Terrestrial Wildlife Protection Regulations,' complemented by damage compensation insurance to mitigate human-bird conflicts. We systematically carry out the breeding and field monitoring of rare species, comprehensively strengthening the ecological security barrier."
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