Black Scoter
Melanitta americana
Vagrant to Ivvavik 3
This species is considered a vagrant to Ivvavik National Park, meaning that it is very rarely seen. If you see this species and manage to take a photo, please upload it to iNaturalist and/or send it to us directly at yukoncdc@gov.yk.ca. You will be helping us expand the scientific knowledge of this bird.
Summary 4
A coastal duck that breeds in the subarctic, the Black Scoter is not well studied in North America. Only a few nests have ever been found. The Black Scoter is divided into two subspecies. In the form found in Europe, the "Common Scoter," the male has a larger swollen knob at the base of the upper bill that is black on the sides with a yellow stripe on top.
The Black Scoter occasionally does a "Wing-flap" display while swimming, flapping its wings with its body held up out of the water. Unlike other scoters, it almost always punctuates a Wing-flap with a characteristic downward thrust of head, as if its neck were momentarily broken. Surf and White-winged scoters keep their heads and bills pointing more or less above the horizontal throughout a Wing-flap. The Black Scoter is among the most vocal of waterfowl. Groups of Black Scoters often can be located by the constant mellow, plaintive whistling sound of the males.
Habitat 5
Mostly coastal waters, less commonly on large inland lakes and rivers when not breeding. Nests near lakes and pools on grassy or bushy tundra and in northern taiga (AOU 1983). Usually nests close to water. The nest is a depression lined with plant material, down and feathers.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Len Blumin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenblumin/6790527649/
- (c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley
- (c) Yukon Conservation Data Centre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
- Adapted by Yukon Conservation Data Centre from a work by Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/27673905
- Adapted by Yukon Conservation Data Centre from a work by (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28912042
More Info
Range Map
iNaturalist.ca Map
| Color | black |
|---|---|
| Animal | Bird |
| Bird | duck |
