Alternative name: Common Scoter
- 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. Female Red-crested Pochard has a white wing bar and Long-tailed Duck has a smaller bill and much whiter underparts.
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.
Northern Eurasia; winters western Europe to Mediterranean and Caspian Sea. There are a few breeding areas in northern Scotland and Ireland.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
- M. n. nigra Black Scoter (Eurasian):
- M. n. americana Black Scoter (American):
Formerly considered conspecific with its North American counterpart, which has been split as the American Scoter M. americana by some authorities[2]
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.
- Pointed tail is often raised.
- Spring migration takes place overland at night.
- Autumn migration is along the coast during the day.
Flight
- Flies low to the water in long lines. Flight is strong and rapid.
- Dives with a small leap.
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. 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
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black Scoter. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black_Scoter
