Black Scoter

Melanitta americana (Swainson, 1832)

43–49 cmLength1.1 kgWeight

The male is jet-black overall, with a large, swollen bill that is mostly yellow.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: United States, Canada, Japan

Near Threatened

How to identify

Field marks

Male all black, without any white on the body
Bill large and swollen, mostly yellow
Compact and stocky
Female brown with pale cheeks

Male, female and young

Male all black; female brown with pale cheeks.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: United States, Canada, Japan

Black Scoter has been recorded at 410 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Parker River NWRUnited States7,666 records
Cape Island – CMP – Coral Ave. dune crossingUnited States6,946 records
Ocean City InletUnited States5,589 records

More places

Barnegat Lighthouse SPUnited States5,362 records
Sandy HookUnited States4,386 records
Jones Beach SP – Coast Guard StationUnited States4,118 records
Quai, Pointe-au-PèreCanada3,732 records
Halibut Point SPUnited States3,594 records
Cape Island – Cape May Point SPUnited States2,825 records
Cape Island – South Cape May MeadowsUnited States2,732 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Japan South Korea China Russia St. Pierre & Miquelon Poland

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black scoter or American scoter (Melanitta americana) is a large sea duck, 43 to 49 cm (17 to 19 in) in length. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek melas "black" and netta "duck". The species name is from the Latin for "American".

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black Scoter?

The Black Scoter is about 43–49 cm long and weighs around 1.1 kg.

Where does the Black Scoter live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, North America: Yana River to Kamchatka (eastern Siberia), Alaska east to northwestern Yukon; eastern Northwest Territories and southwestern Nunavut to Newfoundland (central to eastern Canada). It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Japan.

When is the best time to see the Black Scoter?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black Scoter endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Scoter as Near Threatened.

What does the Black Scoter eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Black Scoter in?

It belongs to the family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae), order Anseriformes.

At a glance

Length: 43–49 cm
Weight: 1.1 kg
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Near Threatened

More measurements

Wing: 220 mm
Tail: 75 mm
Bill: 45 mm
Tarsus: 40 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic, North America: Yana River to Kamchatka (eastern Siberia), Alaska east to northwestern Yukon; eastern Northwest Territories and southwestern Nunavut to Newfoundland (central to eastern Canada)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2