What does the black scoter eat?

What is the scientific name for a black Scotch?

Its French name, used in parts of its Canadian range, is macreuse noire (also meaning “black scoter”). The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

What is the difference between the White and black scoter?

The white-winged, or velvet, scoter ( M. deglandi, or fusca) is nearly circumpolar in distribution north of the Equator, as is the black, or common, scoter ( M., or sometimes Oidemia, nigra ). The black scoter is the least abundant in the New World.

What kind of Duck is a scoter?

scoter, also called Sea Coot, (genus Melanitta ), any of three species of sea duck of the family Anatidae. Within the divisions of true duck species, the scoter belongs in the diving duck group. Scoters are good swimmers and divers and are mainly marine except during the breeding season.

Are there any black scoters in the US?

The Black Scoter, once known as the Common Scoter, is so named due to the all-black color of the males. Out of the three Scoters in North America, they are the least often seen. As sea ducks, they are vulnerable to pollution in the ocean; their populations are believed to be declining. 15. Black-Bellied Whistling Duck

What is a common scoter duck?

Common scoter. The common scoter (Melanitta nigra) is a large sea duck, 43–54 cm (17–21 in) in length, which breeds over the far north of Europe and Asia east to the Olenyok River. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek melas, “black”, and netta, “duck”.

Are there any black scoters in Western Europe?

However, as this is one of the peak times of discovery of Black Scoters in Western Europe, then the following observations may well be apposite! Black Scoters in first-winter plumage tend to look very female-like in late autumn and early winter, as the black feathering is only just beginning to show through.

What kind of Duck is black on the bill?

The male common scoter is our only all-black duck, with just a small patch of yellow on the bill. The female is dark brown, with a paler cheek. A very rare nesting bird on pools in the far north of Scotland, but a more common winter visitor to our coasts.

What does a black scoter eat?

The black scoter is the least abundant in the New World. All three species of scoter feed mainly on marine animals such as clams; only about 10 percent of their diet is plant material. The three species may be seen feeding in mixed flocks.

What is the pattern and colour of a common scoter’s Bill?

The pattern and colour on a Common Scoter’s bill is typically of yellow over the flat section of the upper mandible, extending in a thin line up and over the basal knob.

What kind of bird is Bill?

Bill is orange with large black basal knob. Red-orange legs, feet. Dives to 40 feet, feeds primarily on shellfish. Direct flight with steady wing beats.

What type of Duck is a scoter?

Common scoter. The common scoter (Melanitta nigra) is a large sea duck, 43–54 cm (17–21 in) in length, which breeds over the far north of Europe and Asia east to the Olenyok River.

What is the scientific name of scoter?

Common scoter. The common scoter (Melanitta nigra) is a large sea duck, 43–54 cm (17–21 in) in length, which breeds over the far north of Europe and Asia east to the Olenyok River. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek melas, “black”, and netta, “duck”. The species name is from Latin niger “shining black”.

What is happening to the scoter bird population?

The breedding population has declined since due to the increase in Mink, which predate the nests and young. Common Scoter are almost entirely marine during the winter, and tend to congregate in large flocks on shallow seas with sandy bottoms supporting their preferred prey. Irish Wetland Bird Survey.

What does a scoter bird look like?

All plumages have a white wing-patch, which distinguishes the White-winged Scoter in flight from the other two scoters, which have solid black wings. The White-winged Scoter can also be distinguished by its sloping forehead and bill, which is less bulbous than that of the others. The adult male is solid black with a white comma around a white eye.

Why is a black duck called a coot?

The reason why the black duck is called the coot is because the bird has a white growth on the front of its head that looks like a receding hairline. This waterfowl belongs to the shepherd family and the cranes order. In addition to the characteristic strip above the nose, the coot is distinguished by the following features:

Is the common scoter native to the UK?

Although the common scoter is a winter visitor to the UK, there are some breeding pairs in the north of Scotland. The species has been placed on the RSPB conservation Red List because of a greater than 50% decline in the UK breeding population.

What is the population of the common scoter?

The common scoter is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds ( AEWA) applies. In 1977, Campbell estimated the wintering population in north-western Europe to be about 130,000, mostly in the Baltic area, and the UK population at about 20,000.

How difficult is it to track bird populations?

Applied ecologist Ted Simons of North Carolina State University says that trying to enumerate bird populations and tracking them over time is a daunting task with a lot of uncertainty.

How can you tell a white winged scoter from a black one?

The White-winged Scoter can also be distinguished by its sloping forehead and bill, which is less bulbous than that of the others. The adult male is solid black with a white comma around a white eye.

How can you tell the difference between male and female scoter?

It is characterised by its bulky shape and large bill. The male is all black with a bulbous bill which shows some yellow coloration around the nostrils. The female is a brown bird with pale cheeks, very similar to female black scoter.

Where do scoter birds live in Ireland?

Common Scoter are almost entirely marine during the winter, and tend to congregate in large flocks on shallow seas with sandy bottoms supporting their preferred prey. Irish Wetland Bird Survey. Small breeding populations in West and North West a largest lakes such as Lough Corrib in Galway and Lough arrow in Sligo.

How do you identify a white-winged scoter?

The strongly curved or ‘smiling’ surface of the bill where it meets the feathers indicates that this is a White-winged Scoter. Here’s that same bird with its wings open, confirming that it is indeed a White-winged Scoter.

Where do the birds breed in Ireland?

Irish Wetland Bird Survey. Small breeding populations in West and North West a largest lakes such as Lough Corrib in Galway and Lough arrow in Sligo. Most birds breed in Scandinavia, also at a few Lochs in Scotland.

Where do birds migrate from Ireland?

The island of Ireland finds itself in a unique position when it comes to bird migration. Situated at the very edge of Europe and at the intesection of several intercontinental migratory flyways, it receives vast numbers of both summer and winter migrants.

How can you tell a female scoter from a male scoter?

Female of both species are very similar and best distinguished by head shape; White-winged Scoters tend to have “two-stepped” profile between the bill and the head, compared to the long “Roman nose” profile of Stejneger’s Scoter similar to that of a Common eider.

Are scoter ducks on the Red List?

Common scoters are commonly spotted as a line of dark ducks flying low over the water, or as large rafts of black ducks bobbing on the sea. Classified in the UK as a Red List species under the Birds of Conservation Concern review and as a Priority Species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.