Bird name:

Black Scoter

Melanitta nigra

Order

ANSERIFORMES

Family

Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Code 4

BLSC

Code 6

MENNIG

ITIS

175171

Breeding Location:

Grasslands, Sea, open

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Common to fairly common

Egg Color:

Buff to pink buff

Number of Eggs:

5 - 8

Incubation Days:

27 - 28

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Coarse grass lined with feathers.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Black Scoter: Medium-sized diving duck, entirely black except for yellow knob at base of bill. Female is dark brown with contrasting pale cheeks, chin and throat, and may exhibit yellow at base of bill. Juvenile is similar to female but is faintly scaled; 1st winter male shows dull yellow bill knob.

Range and Habitat

Black Scoter: Breeds in western Alaska, Labrador, and Newfoundland. Spends winters along coasts from Alaska south to California, from Newfoundland south to the Carolinas, along portions of the Gulf coast, and on the Great Lakes. Breeding habitats include ponds in boreal forests; spends winters on oceans and in large saltwater bays.

Breeding and Nesting

Black Scoter: Five to eight buff to pink buff eggs are laid in a down-lined cup of grass hidden in a rock crevice or clump of grass near water. Incubation ranges from 27 to 28 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Black Scoter: Feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, small fish, aquatic plants, and algae; forages by diving from the surface.

Vocalization

Black Scoter: In spring, emits a musical, whistled "cour-loo."

Similar Species

Black Scoter: American Black Duck has yellow-green bill.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Chin

The area of the face just below the bill.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America