- Melanitta nigra
Identification
45-49cm
Male: All black; very bulbous bill with some yellow.
Female: Brown with pale cheeks and may have some yellow around the nostils.
Similar Species
Females can be confused with female Red-crested Pochard which has a white wing bar and Long-tailed Duck which has a smaller bill and much whiter underparts.
Distribution
Northern Eurasia; winters western Europe to Mediterranean and Caspian Sea. There are a few breeding areas in northern Scotland and Ireland.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
It was formerly thought to be conspecific with Black Scoter.
Habitat
Winters on sea-coasts, usually at some distance from the shore.
Breeds on inland lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra.
Behaviour
- Gregarious, may form very large flocks, especially with Velvet Scoter.
- Spring migration takes place overland at night.
- Autumn migration is along the coast during the day.
Diet
The diet includes crustaceans and molluscs, insects and their larvae, fish eggs and vegetation such as duck weed while nesting on freshwater.
Breeding
The nest is built on the ground. The clutch consists of 5-7 eggs and are incubated for 27 to 31 days.
Action
- Flies low to the water in long lines. Flight is strong and rapid.
- Dives with a small leap.
- They do a very distinctive wing flap, where they jerk their head down and then up.
- Pointed tail is often raised.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Melanitta nigra (song).mp3</flashmp3>
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
- Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
- Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
- Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
- 51st supplement to the AOU checklist of North American birds
- Birdforum Member Observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Common Scoter. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Common_Scoter
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
