Surf scoter

At a glance

Size: About 43 to 60 cm long
Weight: About 800 to 1,200 g
Habitat: Ocean surf and nearshore waters in winter
Diet: Mussels, clams and other shellfish
In Georgia: An uncommon winter visitor off the coast
Voice: Mostly quiet
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Male: Black with white patches on the forehead and nape; swollen orange, white and black bill
Female: Dark brown with two pale patches on the side of the face
Told apart from: Black scoter, whose male is all black with a yellow knob on the bill
Told apart from: White-winged scoter, which shows white wing patches
Where to look: Just beyond the breakers on ocean beaches, November to March

Behaviour

Surf scoters dive in rough water to pull mussels and clams off the bottom and swallow them whole. Flocks ride the swells beyond the surf line and fly low over the waves.

Why they matter

Sea ducks like the surf scoter are among the least studied birds in North America, because they spend their lives far from people. They breed on remote northern lakes and winter on the sea, and they depend on shellfish beds that are sensitive to pollution and warming water.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A down-lined hollow on the ground near a boreal lake
Eggs — Usually 5 to 9
Incubation — About 28 to 30 days
Ducklings — Leave the nest within a day
Flight — At about eight weeks
Lifespan — Wild birds over ten years are recorded

Living around people

A scoter stranded on a beach cannot walk well or take off from land; it needs a rehabilitator, not a push back into the surf.
Oil spills are deadly to sea ducks that rest on the water.

Misconceptions

A duck on the beach can just walk back into the sea. Sea ducks' legs are set far back for diving, and a beached one is usually exhausted, oiled or ill.

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 along the coast	Breeding on northern lakes	Nesting	Ducklings hatching	Adults moulting	Migration begins	Moving south along the coast	Arriving off the Southeast	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 44 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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