White-winged Scoter

Melanitta fuscaOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: WWSC Scientific Name: MELFUS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175163

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Overview

White-winged Scoter: Medium sea duck, mostly black except for white eye patches, large white wing patches. Bill is orange with large black basal knob. Red-orange legs, feet. Dives to 40 feet, feeds primarily on shellfish. Direct flight with steady wing beats. Flies in straight line or V formation.

Range and Habitat

White-winged Scoter: Breeds in Alaska and much of western and central Canada. Spends winters along the coasts, from Alaska south to California and from Newfoundland south to the Carolinas, but rarely to Florida and Texas. Breeds on large lakes and winters mainly on the ocean and on large coastal bays.

Topo Map: Duck-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

No data available.

Interesting Facts

A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Related Birds

Surf Scoter
Pigeon Guillemot
Black Scoter
Harlequin Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Black Guillemot

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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.

White-winged Scoter

● Song: No data available.

● Foraging & Feeding: White-winged Scoter: Feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic insects, and small fish found in marine and freshwater habitats; summer diet includes pondweeds and bur reeds in inland areas. Usually forages by diving under water.

● Breeding & nesting: White-winged Scoter: Five to seventeen light brown, light pink, or creamy buff eggs are laid in a ground hollow lined with sticks and down, usually built under a bush or in a crevice near water. Incubation ranges from 25 to 31 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: White-winged Scoter: Surf Scoter lacks white wing patches, the male has white forehead and patch on back of neck, the female has two white patches on sides of face. Black Scoter also lacks white wing patches, the male has a solid black head and the female has pale brown-gray cheeks, chin, throat, and sides of neck.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with steady quick wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: White-winged Scoter: Breeds in Alaska and much of western and central Canada. Spends winters along the coasts, from Alaska south to California and from Newfoundland south to the Carolinas, but rarely to Florida and Texas. Breeds on large lakes and winters mainly on the ocean and on large coastal bays.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationCommon to abundant

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight62.4 Ounces

Duck-like Body

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