also: かわあいさ
common merganser; goosander
A species of duck (Mergus merganser). The name is usually written in katakana as カワアイサ.
The common merganser is a large waterfowl found in rivers and lakes.
Hiragana spelling, also used but less common than katakana for this species.
Rarely used kanji form; primarily encountered in older or specialized texts.
The name カワアイサ literally means 'river merganser'. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it likely refers to its habitat.