Species

Black scoter

Melanitta americana

An all-black sea duck with a bright yellow bill knob, the scoter most often seen off Georgia's beaches.

Photo Bjoern Rost (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Communication

At a glance

Size: About 43 to 49 cm long
Weight: About 850 to 1,100 g
Habitat: Nearshore ocean in winter
Diet: Mussels, clams and other shellfish
In Georgia: An uncommon to locally common winter visitor off the coast
Voice: Males give a mournful, whistled "peeew"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Male: All black with a large yellow-orange knob on the bill
Female: Dark brown with pale cheeks and a dark cap
Told apart from: Surf scoter, whose male has white head patches
Told apart from: Female ruddy duck, which is much smaller and found on fresh water
Where to look: Rafts beyond the surf, November to March

Behaviour

Black scoters dive in shallow coastal waters for shellfish. Flocks call with soft, whistled notes, and males display by stretching their necks and calling.

Why they matter

Black scoters are among the most vocal sea ducks, and their whistles carry over winter surf. Like other sea ducks they rely on shellfish beds and clean coastal water, and their numbers are a check on the health of nearshore waters.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A down-lined hollow in grass on the tundra or near boreal lakes
Eggs — Usually 6 to 9
Incubation — About 27 to 31 days
Ducklings — Leave the nest within a day
Flight — At about six to seven weeks
Lifespan — Wild birds over ten years are recorded

Living around people

A scoter found on the beach cannot take off from land; putting it back in the surf rarely helps. A rehabilitator can check it.

Misconceptions

Sea ducks on the beach are resting. A healthy sea duck rarely comes ashore; one on the sand is usually in trouble.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering offshore	Wintering	Migrating north	Moving north	Arriving on breeding grounds	Nesting	Ducklings hatching	Ducklings growing	Adults moulting	Migration begins	Arriving off the Southeast	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 40 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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