A day old duckling.

This month Diana received a RSG 'Booster Grant' to develop the project further as 'Research and Conservation of the Scaly-sided Merganser in Russia'.

The Scaly-sided Merganser is the seaduck of concern and it is included in the Red Data Books of IUCN, Russia, China and South Korea. Main target of current long-term project is to estimate the number and current status of globally threatened Scaly-sided Mergansers on the Russian breeding grounds, to investigate factors affecting breeding population in order to improve conservation efforts and attract public attention to the conservation of the species. After our work in 2000-2004 the current estimation of breeding population in main nesting area in Primorye, Russia, indicated positive trend.

In 2000-2004 we initiated and realized the wide regional program of construction and distribution of artificial nests for Scaly-sided Merganser in Far East Russia. We have distributed more then 130 artificial nests. Some of these nests were used by mergansers and successful hatching occurred. Comparative study of the breeding biology and demography in natural and artificial nests is going on. First in the world we ringed adult Scaly-sided Merganser and now we are working with individually marked nesting population. In 2006 we plan wide surveys along the rivers where artificial nests are placed, continuation of the artificial nests programme work, ringing and wide information and education programme in local villages.