Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) lives in marine coastal waters across North America. It feeds on mollusks and crustaceans. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Surf Scoter
- Surf scoters hit sexual maturity after three years, then males tip the scales at about 1,050 g and stretch 48 cm long, while females weigh roughly 900 g and measure 44 cm. Their wings span nearly a foot, 29.9 to 30.3 inches, making them the smallest scoter on average, yet still a hefty sea duck.
- Breeding surf scoters lay between five and nine eggs, each weighing 55-79 g and measuring about 44 mm wide by 62 mm long. The female incubates them for roughly 28-30 days, then the ducklings face a harsh start: Quebec studies report a 55-65% mortality rate, often due to weather.
- Surf scoters winter along a 5,000 km stretch of the Pacific coast, from the Aleutian Islands down to Baja California. After breeding they migrate to coastal bays and estuaries where they molt, a flightless window that usually runs from late July through early August and lasts about four weeks. This timing aligns with abundant, low-predation feeding grounds, showing how migration and molt are tightly coupled to seasonal resource peaks.
- When foraging, surf scoters preferentially snap up smaller bivalves and slow-moving crustaceans, likely because processing larger shells costs extra energy. They often dive in tightly synchronized groups, with dive length stretching when they chase herring eggs, which are harder to capture than sessile mussels.
- Although classified as Least Concern, surf scoter numbers have slipped 50-70% over the past 40 years. A 1995 California die-off claimed about 100 birds, and the 2007 San Francisco oil spill killed thousands, with roughly 40% of the victims being surf scoters. Today the global population sits between 250,000 and 1,300,000 individuals, a reminder that even common species can tumble quickly when faced with large-scale disturbances.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatMarine coastal waters
DietMollusks and crustaceans
About the Surf Scoter
As the Surf Scoter glides effortlessly across the turbulent coastline, its sleek, black silhouette is punctuated by a splash of orange, a vibrant beacon that announces its presence to the rugged shores it calls home. With a gentle bob of its head, the scoter navigates the waves with an air of nonchalance, its webbed feet paddling in perfect synchrony as it searches for the hidden treasures of the ocean floor. In this unforgiving yet majestic landscape, the Surf Scoter reigns supreme, its remarkable adaptability and resilience a testament to the enduring power of life in the wild.
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