Facts about Black Scoters
The Black Scoter is also known as American Scoter. This is America's only black duck, although the female may have some yellow around the nostils. The male is all black with a very bulbous bill which is mostly yellow. The female is a brown bird with pale cheeks, very similar to female Common Scoter. Its French name is 'macreuse noire' which is also used in parts of its Canadian range. macreuse noire in French means "black scoter". They build their lined nest on the ground close to the sea, lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra. Black scoters prefer to nest in large clumps of tundra grass. When this bird is in flight, there is a silvery appearance from the underside. Major wintering areas for black scoters include the Pacific coast from the Pribilof and Aleutian Islands to southern California, the Great Lakes, and the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to South Carolina. In North America, black scoters breed in western and southern Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and scattered areas in central and eastern Canada, including southern Keewatin, northern Quebec, and Newfoundland. It is characterised by its bulky shape and large bill. The incubation period of their eggs may range from 27 to 31 days. lack scoters dive to feed on mollusks, crustaceans, and small fishes found in marine and freshwater habitats. Their diet also includes small amounts of eelgrass, muskgrass, widgeon grass, pondweeds, and algae found in inland habitats. The adult male Black Scoter is on average 1100 grams (2.4 lbs.) and 49 cm (19 inches) in length. The adult female Black Scoter averages about 980 grams (2.1 lbs.) and 45 cm (18 inches) in length. Clutch size of these birds vary from 8 to 9 eggs. |
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