Black Scoter
Black Scoter: Medium diving duck, entirely black except for yellow knob at base of black bill. Legs and feet are black. The male is the only all black duck in North America. Dives for food, primarily eats mollusks. Strong direct flight with rapid wing beats. Flies in straight line and V formation.
● Song:
Generally silent
● Foraging & Feeding:
Black Scoter: Feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, small fish, aquatic plants, and algae; forages by diving from the surface.
● Breeding & 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.
● Similar species:
Black Scoter: American Black Duck has yellow-green bill.
● Range & 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.