Gaga lives in the cold northern seas. She spends almost all her time at sea, coming ashore only to build a nest and bring out chicks.
The male gaga has a beautiful, bright outfit. His back is white like snow, and he has a black cap on his head. The feathers on the chest are orange or pink, the abdomen is black.
The female looks like an ordinary duck. The plumage color is reddish – brown, with many dark specks. Gaga flies well, swims well and dives to great depths.
She is not afraid of storms, frost, or cold water. It is protected from water and cold by dense plumage and a large layer of subcutaneous fat. Everything is adapted for life in icy water, on the snow-covered shores of rocky islands.
The main food of the bird is marine mollusks, worms, small crustaceans, fish. It also feeds on berries and green plants. When gaga dives into the depths, she uses her wings as fins.
With the onset of winter, when the ice shackles the seas, the gaga move to warmer areas: the water does not freeze there and you can find food. But as soon as the polar day begins to increase, the gags will set off on their way back: it’s time to start a family, build a nest.
Sometimes the males arrange real fights among themselves. They flap their wings, stand on their tails in the water and scream loudly. Their cries resemble pigeon cooing.
The female makes a nest on the shore. This is an ordinary hole, covered with grass and stalks. To insulate the nest, the female plucks out fluff on her abdomen. And when the eggs appear in the nest, they literally drown in a soft and warm feather bed.
Gaga fluff is used to make winter warm clothes. Eiderdown is collected from the nests when the chicks have already hatched. And the chicks are great, already on the second or third
day after birth, they go to the sea with their mother.
