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Difference between revisions of "White-winged Scoter" - BirdForum Opus

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[[Image:Velvet Scoter, Musselburgh.jpg|thumb|450px|right|Male '''Velvet Scoter''' ''M. f. fusca'' <br />Photo {{user|jtwood|jtwood}}<br />Musselburgh, Scotland; February 2010. ]]
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[[Image:Velvet_Scoter.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Male<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|digitalbirder|digitalbirder}}<br />White Rock, [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]], 19 February 2005]]
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;[[:Category:Melanitta|Melanitta]] fusca
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;[[:Category:Melanitta|Melanitta]] deglandi
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'''Includes Velvet Scoter'''
 
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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[[Image:Velvet_Scoter.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Male '''White-winged Scoter''' ''M. f. deglandi'' <br />Photo by {{user|digitalbirder|digitalbirder}}<br />White Rock, [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]], February 2005]]
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[[Image:Female White-winged Scoter.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Jim+F|Jim F}}<br />Hamilton, [[Ontario]], [[Canada]], 30 January 2015]]
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Length 51-58cm, weight 1200-1800 g<br />
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Length 51-58cm (20-22¾ in), weight 1200-1800 g<br />
 
'''Male'''
 
'''Male'''
 
*Black overall plumage
 
*Black overall plumage
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*Two pale spots in the head, one on the [[Topography#Heads|auriculars]], one between eye and bill<br />
 
*Two pale spots in the head, one on the [[Topography#Heads|auriculars]], one between eye and bill<br />
 
'''Juvenile''' a paler version of female
 
'''Juvenile''' a paler version of female
 +
====Notes on distinguishing males of White-winged Scoter, Velvet Scoter, and [[Stejneger's Scoter]]====
 +
*'''Velvet Scoter''' (''M. fusca''): the least knob on the bill, and the least white around and behind the eye; almost no white above the eye. The coloured section of the bill is yellow and relatively long, and the distance from the base of that to the eye is short, producing the impression that the eye is positioned relatively far forward on the head. The crown looks highest above the eye.
 +
*'''White-winged Scoter''' (''M. deglandi''): clear knob at the base of the bill, with the yellow-orange part relatively short, so that the eye looks set further back on head than [[Velvet Scoter]]. The white around the eye is shaped as a checkmark, pointed up at the rear end. The coloured part of the bill is orange with the top parts looking yellow. The crown is highest in front of the eye. When seen well, flanks will be brown in contrast to black back and breast.
 +
*'''Stejneger's Scoter''' (''M. stejnegeri''): Head shape closer to [[Common Eider]] in shape, with a long, sloping forehead. White around eye similar to or longer than [[White-winged Scoter]]. It has a clear knob - almost like a small Rhinoceros horn - on the bill, further forward than ''M. deglandi'', and the coloured parts are mostly red with yellow "lipstick" below. Flanks are black
 +
 +
'''Females''' are much harder to distinguish, only determinable at the closest range; '''Velvet Scoter''' has a slightly concave forehead with no basal swelling on the bill, '''Stejneger's Scoter''' has a slightly swollen bill base, and '''White-winged Scoter''' a marginally more swollen bill base.
 +
 
====Flight====
 
====Flight====
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[[Image:Scooter bf.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Male '''Stejneger's Scoter''' ''M. f. stejnegeri''<br />Photo by {{user|DaninJapan|DaninJapan}}<br />Misawa port, Aomori-Ken, [[Japan]], March 2006]]
 
 
In flight, it shows a white patch on the rear of the wing.
 
In flight, it shows a white patch on the rear of the wing.
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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[[Image:Velvet Scoter, western Sweden.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Velvet Scoter with wing part-open showing the white secondaries<br />Photo by {{user|Digiscoper321|Digiscoper321}}<br />Western [[Sweden]], April 2015]]
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Northern North America; winters to coastal southern [[USA]]
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Breeds in northern areas around the globe, such as [[Scandinavia]] (especially [[Sweden]] and [[Norway]]), northern [[Asia]], and northern [[North America]].
 
−
 
 
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Migrates in winter to areas that have coastal open water, for example in [[Europe]] will be found from Norway to [[Spain]] and east to the Caspian Sea.
 
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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====Subspecies====
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This is a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.  Formerly considered conspecific with [[Velvet Scoter]] from Northern Eurasia and [[Stejneger's Scoter]] from East Asia.  
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[[Image:Velvet_Scoter2.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Female Velvet Scoter <br />Photo by {{user|Gwynn|Gwynn}}<br />[[Austria]], February 2006]]
 
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[[Image:Velvet_Scoter_Flight_by_jtwood.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Male Velvet Scoter in flight<br />Photo by the late {{user|Jim+Wood|Jim Wood}}<br />East Lothian, [[Scotland]], [[UK]], January 2008]]
 
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Three subspecies are currently recognised<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>, split into two species by several authorities<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#References|[3]]]</sup>:
 
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*''M. f. fusca'' ('''Velvert Scoter''') is found in [[Europe]] and western [[Asia]].
 
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*''M. f. deglandi'' ('''White-winged Scoter''') occurs in [[North America]] and includes ''M. f. dixoni'' which is no longer recognized. 
 
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*''M. f. stejnegeri'' ('''Stejneger's Scoter''') is found in Eastern [[Asia]]. This form is also sometimes proposed for recognition as a full species<sup>[[#References|[4]]]</sup>.
 
−
 
 
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''M. f. deglandi'' has in the past and is increasingly again recognised as a full species (for example by the British BOURC<sup>[[#References|[3]]]</sup>), which would keep the name of White-winged Scoter; subspecies ''M. f. fusca'' being Velvet Scoter. Subspecies ''M. f. stejnegeri'' would be a subspecies of ''M. deglandi'' if BOURC is followed, but has also sometimes been considered a full species. Opus follows the developments in the worldwide checklists.
 
−
 
 
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====Notes on distinguishing males of the subspecies====
 
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*''M. f. fusca'': the least knob on the bill, and the least white around and behind the eye; almost no white above the eye. The coloured section of the bill is yellow and relatively long, and the distance from the base of that to the eye is short, producing the impression that the eye is positioned relatively far forward on the head. The crown looks highest above the eye.
 
−
*''M. f. deglandi'': clear knob at the base of the bill, with the yellow-orange part relatively short, so that the eye looks set further back on head than ''M. f. fusca''. The white around the eye is shaped as a checkmark, pointed up at the rear end. The coloured part of the bill is orange with the top parts looking yellow. The crown is highest in front of the eye. When seen well, flanks will be brown in contrast to black back and breast.
 
−
*''M. f. stejnegeri'': Head shape closer to [[Common Eider]] in shape, with a long, sloping forehead. White around eye similar to or longer than ''M. f. deglandi''. It has a clear knob - almost like a small Rhinoceros horn - on the bill, further forward than ''M. f. deglandi'', and the coloured parts are mostly red with yellow "lipstick" below. Flanks are black.
 
−
 
 
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Females are much harder to distinguish, only determinable at the closest range; ''M. f. fusca'' has a slightly concave forehead with no basal swelling on the bill, ''M. f. stejnegeri'' a slightly swollen bill base, and ''M. f. deglandi'' a marginally more swollen bill base.
 
−
 
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
−
Breeds around fresh water bodies near boreal forests and arctic tundra; sometimes far from the coast.  
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Breeds around fresh water bodies near boreal forests and arctic tundra; sometimes far from the coast. Outside of the breeding season, they are to be found in coastal waters, often near shellfish beds
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−
Outside of the breeding season, they are to be found in coastal waters, often near shellfish beds
 
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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''M. f. fusca'' often mixes with with [[Common Eider]], and sometimes with [[Common Scoter]].
 
 
====Action====
 
====Action====
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Slower and more powerful than Common Scoter.
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Slower and more powerful than [[Common Scoter]].
 
====Diet====
 
====Diet====
 
Their diet includes shellfish, crabs, sea urchins, fish, insect larvae and plants.
 
Their diet includes shellfish, crabs, sea urchins, fish, insect larvae and plants.
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They build a lined nest on the ground near lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra. The clutch consists of 7-9 eggs.  
 
They build a lined nest on the ground near lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra. The clutch consists of 7-9 eggs.  
 
====Vocalisation====
 
====Vocalisation====
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<flashmp3>Melanitta fusca (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />
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Usually silent
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''[[Media:Melanitta fusca (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug14}}#{{Ref-GillDonsker14V5.2}}#[http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst.html DUDLEY et al.] 2006. The British List: A Checklist of Birds of Britain (7th edition). Ibis 148:526–563 with online updates to 2009
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}#{{Ref-GillDonskerRasmussen20V10.1}}#[http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst.html DUDLEY et al.] 2006. The British List: A Checklist of Birds of Britain (7th edition). Ibis 148:526–563 with online updates to 2009
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#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2015)
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#del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2020). White-winged Scoter (''Melanitta deglandi''). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/467114 on 8 April 2020).
 
#R Strack 2010. Fløjlsænder. ''Fugle i Felten'' 1: 6-7, January 2010 (in Danish) .
 
#R Strack 2010. Fløjlsænder. ''Fugle i Felten'' 1: 6-7, January 2010 (in Danish) .
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#Birdweb.org
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#[http://www.birdweb.org/BIRDWEB/bird/white-winged_scoter Birdweb.org]
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#Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728
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#{{Ref-Grantetal99}}#{{Ref-Collins5th93}}#Brown, P. W. and L. H. Fredrickson (2020). White-winged Scoter (''Melanitta deglandi''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whwsco2.01
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#Collins Field Guide 5th Edition ISBN 0 00 219900 9
 
 
{{ref}}
 
{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Melanitta+fusca}}
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Search the Gallery using the scientific name:
 +
{{GSearch|Melanitta+deglandi}}
 +
<br />
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Search the Gallery using the common name:
 +
{{GSearch|"White-winged Scoter"}}
 +
{{GS-checked}}
 +
<br />
 +
<br />
  
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Melanitta]][[Category:Bird Songs]]
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Melanitta]]

Latest revision as of 20:39, 23 February 2022

Male
Photo © by digitalbirder
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, 19 February 2005
Melanitta deglandi

Identification

Female
Photo © by Jim F
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 30 January 2015

Length 51-58cm (20-22¾ in), weight 1200-1800 g
Male

  • Black overall plumage
  • White 'tick' just below and behind the eye
  • Long yellow bill
  • Thick neck
  • Pointed tail

Female

  • Dusky brown upperparts
  • Scaly-looking brownish-grey underparts
  • Two pale spots in the head, one on the auriculars, one between eye and bill

Juvenile a paler version of female

Notes on distinguishing males of White-winged Scoter, Velvet Scoter, and Stejneger's Scoter

  • Velvet Scoter (M. fusca): the least knob on the bill, and the least white around and behind the eye; almost no white above the eye. The coloured section of the bill is yellow and relatively long, and the distance from the base of that to the eye is short, producing the impression that the eye is positioned relatively far forward on the head. The crown looks highest above the eye.
  • White-winged Scoter (M. deglandi): clear knob at the base of the bill, with the yellow-orange part relatively short, so that the eye looks set further back on head than Velvet Scoter. The white around the eye is shaped as a checkmark, pointed up at the rear end. The coloured part of the bill is orange with the top parts looking yellow. The crown is highest in front of the eye. When seen well, flanks will be brown in contrast to black back and breast.
  • Stejneger's Scoter (M. stejnegeri): Head shape closer to Common Eider in shape, with a long, sloping forehead. White around eye similar to or longer than White-winged Scoter. It has a clear knob - almost like a small Rhinoceros horn - on the bill, further forward than M. deglandi, and the coloured parts are mostly red with yellow "lipstick" below. Flanks are black

Females are much harder to distinguish, only determinable at the closest range; Velvet Scoter has a slightly concave forehead with no basal swelling on the bill, Stejneger's Scoter has a slightly swollen bill base, and White-winged Scoter a marginally more swollen bill base.

Flight

In flight, it shows a white patch on the rear of the wing.

Distribution

Northern North America; winters to coastal southern USA

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1]. Formerly considered conspecific with Velvet Scoter from Northern Eurasia and Stejneger's Scoter from East Asia.

Habitat

Breeds around fresh water bodies near boreal forests and arctic tundra; sometimes far from the coast. Outside of the breeding season, they are to be found in coastal waters, often near shellfish beds

Behaviour

Action

Slower and more powerful than Common Scoter.

Diet

Their diet includes shellfish, crabs, sea urchins, fish, insect larvae and plants.

Breeding

They build a lined nest on the ground near lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra. The clutch consists of 7-9 eggs.

Vocalisation

Usually silent

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen (Eds). 2020. IOC World Bird List (v10.1). doi : 10.14344/IOC.ML.10.1. Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
  3. DUDLEY et al. 2006. The British List: A Checklist of Birds of Britain (7th edition). Ibis 148:526–563 with online updates to 2009
  4. del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2020). White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/467114 on 8 April 2020).
  5. R Strack 2010. Fløjlsænder. Fugle i Felten 1: 6-7, January 2010 (in Danish) .
  6. Birdweb.org
  7. Grant, P.J., K. Mullarney, L. Svensson, D. Zetterstrom (1999) Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe. Harpercollins Pub Ltd ISBN 0 00 219728 6
  8. Peterson, RT, G Mountfort and PAD Hollom. 1993. Collins Field Guide – Birds of Britain and Europe, 5th Revised edition. London: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0002199001
  9. Brown, P. W. and L. H. Fredrickson (2020). White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whwsco2.01

Recommended Citation

External Links

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Search the Gallery using the common name:

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.

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