- Melanitta nigra
Identification
45-49cm. Male: All black, very bulbous, mostly yellow bill. Female: Brown with pale cheeks and may have some yellow around the nostils. Similar Species: The female may be confused with American Scoter.
Distribution
Far north of North America in Labrador and Newfoundland to the southeast Hudson Bay, in Alaska. It winters further south on the coasts of the northern USA and Canada, and in Asia as far south as China.
Taxonomy
Formerly considered conspecific with its North American counterpart, which has been split as the American Scoter M. americana.
Habitat
Sea-coasts.
Behaviour
The diet includes crustaceans and molluscs, insects and their larvae, fish eggs and vegetation such as duck weed while nesting on freshwater.
The nest is built on the ground close to the sea, lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra. 5-7 eggs are laid and are incubated for 27 to 31 days.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Melanitta nigra (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
