Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) lives in arctic tundra across North America. It feeds on mollusks and crustaceans. Its conservation status is Near Threatened.
Fascinating facts about the Black Scoter
- At just under half a meter long, the black scoter stretches to 43-49 cm (17-19 in), and the male tips the scales at roughly 1,100 g (2.4 lb). Females are a shade lighter at about 980 g (2.16 lb) and 45 cm (18 in) long. Their bulk and bill size set them apart from other sea ducks.
- Black scoters launch their breeding season from the far-northern fringes of North America, Labrador, Newfoundland and the edges of Hudson Bay, and even reach the Siberian side of the Bering Straits east of the Yana River. After nesting, they trek south to temperate coasts, from the Pacific shores down to San Francisco Bay and across the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, even as far as China. Their occasional appearance on western European shores, though rare, shows how far a lone drake can wander beyond its usual range.
- When the black scoter hits the water, it becomes a swift underwater hunter, diving for crustaceans and molluscs during migration and wintering. It also snatches insects and their larvae, especially caddisflies, and fish eggs, only occasionally nibbling on duck-weed while nesting on freshwater.
- Black scoters lay a clutch of 5-7 eggs, each weighing 60-74 g, about 8 % of the female's body weight, and measuring roughly 6.3 cm (2.5 in) long by 4.4 cm (1.7 in) wide. After an incubation span of 27-31 days, the mother broods the hatchlings for about three weeks, keeping them warm and safe before the fledglings, still flightless, must learn to fend for themselves. These precise numbers highlight the species' investment in each offspring, a strategy that balances limited clutch size with intensive parental care.
- In winter, black scoters gather in massive, tightly packed flocks on coastal waters, taking off in unison like a coordinated fleet of tiny aircraft. During breeding, they become more solitary, breaking up the large groups. Their calls are also distinct, the black scoter's vocalisations differ enough from the common scoter's to be reliably identified by experts.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatArctic tundra
DietMollusks and crustaceans
About the Black Scoter
In the dark, mysterious waters of the northern hemisphere, the Black Scoter glides with an air of quiet elegance, its sombre plumage allowing it to blend seamlessly into the shadows. As it paddles through the waves, its webbed feet propel it with a soft, muted rhythm, a testament to its remarkable adaptability in a world where subtlety can be a powerful survival tool. With its haunting, whispered calls carrying across the water, this enigmatic bird navigates the delicate balance of its fragile ecosystem, a true marvel of evolutionary resilience.
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