American Scoter (Black Scoter)

Physical Features

The American or Black Scoter is a large sea duck, that is 43 to 49 cm in length and weighs between 950 – 1100 grams. The males are easily identifiable by the large, bright-yellow protuberance on their bill that stands out amazingly well against the all-black plumage that gives the bird its common name. The female is dressed in a plumage of more muted tones of brown, with a contrasting dark cap and pale cheeks. They are visually appealing and enjoyable to watch as they alternate in diving down deep in search of dinner or glide along the surface of the water. This species can be distinguished from other scoters by the lack of white on the drake, and more extensive pale areas on the female. The young are covered with pure black hair-like down.

Habitat

American Scoters are predominantly found in coastal waters where they prefer sheltered embayments, and waters that include some mixed depths. They are sometimes forced into freshwater rivers, especially during violent gales, but they soon return to the salt bays, inlets, or outer sandy shallows of the coast, as soon as the weather permits. The Black Scoter breeds in the far north of North America in Labrador and Newfoundland to the southeast Hudson Bay, in Alaska. It also occurs on the Siberian side of the Bering Straits east of the Yana River. It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of the northern USA and Canada, on the Pacific coast south to the San Francisco Bay region and on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, and in Asia as far south as China. Some birds may over-winter on the Great Lakes.

Diet

An American Scoter's food consists of small shellfish, marine plants, and aquatic insects. They can be seen diving for crustaceans and molluscs while migrating or wintering on the sea-coasts, and also feeding on insects and their larvae, especially caddis flies, fish eggs and vegetation such as duck weed.

Meat

During their stay along the shores, American Scoters congregate in vast multitudes, and are easily shot on wing in numbers. Their meat is sold in the markets of maritime cities. The flesh is very dark and has a strong fishy flavor.

Behavior

American Scoters are among the most vocal of waterfowl. Groups of Black Scoters can often be located by the constant mellow, plaintive whistling sound made by the males. Reproductive success of this species can vary significantly between years, making adult survival crucial to its population dynamics; thus, this species is particularly sensitive to hunting mortality. They build lined nests on the ground close to the sea, lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra. The females lay 5-7 eggs, each weighing between 60-74 grams (2-2.6 oz), or 8% of the females body weight. Their incubation period ranges from 27 to 31 days after which the females brood their young extensively for about 3 weeks. Thereafter, the still flightless young must fend for themselves.

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