Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)

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Image of a Surf Scoter in its natural habitat
Birds Scoter

Introduction

The Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) is a medium-sized North American sea duck in the family Anatidae. It breeds in the far north and migrates to coastal waters for much of the non-breeding season. Adult males are among the most distinctive of North America’s scoters, with black plumage, bold white head markings and a large, brightly coloured bill.

Physical Description

Surf Scoters measure approximately 48–60 cm in length, with a wingspan of about 76–77 cm. They have a sturdy body, short neck, large head and broad, sloping bill.

Adult males are predominantly black. They have white patches on the forehead, around the base of the bill and at the nape, together with a swollen bill marked with orange, white and black. The bill becomes brighter and more strongly coloured as the bird matures.

Females are dark brown overall, with a paler face and two noticeable white patches, one near the bill and another behind the eye. Their bills are dark grey or black and lack the male’s vivid colouring. Immature males resemble females but gradually develop darker plumage, stronger facial markings and an increasingly orange bill.

Range and Habitat

The Surf Scoter breeds across northern Canada and Alaska, particularly where boreal forest gives way to open tundra. Breeding sites are usually freshwater lakes and ponds, often in remote areas with sheltered shorelines and relatively few large predators.

After breeding, Surf Scoters migrate to marine habitats along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America. Pacific birds winter from Alaska and the Aleutian Islands southwards to Baja California, while Atlantic birds occur along the eastern seaboard of Canada and the United States. They are most often seen in coastal bays, estuaries and nearshore waters, although migrating birds may temporarily use inland lakes and reservoirs during storms or poor weather.

The species is endemic to North America as a breeding bird, although occasional individuals have been recorded outside the continent. Adults may gather at sheltered coastal sites to moult before continuing to their wintering areas.

Behaviour and Diet

Surf Scoters are strong divers. They usually rest on the water and dive below the surface to capture prey, often feeding in flocks that may contain hundreds or thousands of birds. In coastal waters, their diet includes mussels, clams, snails and other molluscs, as well as crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates. During the breeding season, freshwater insects, small aquatic animals and plant material may form a greater part of the diet, particularly for birds feeding on inland lakes.

Courtship and pair formation begin on the wintering grounds and may continue after the birds reach breeding areas. Males use head movements, postures and vocal displays during courtship. On the breeding grounds, a male may defend the area immediately around a female, but females with broods are not strongly territorial.

The female builds a concealed ground nest close to a freshwater lake, using plant material and down. She usually lays 6–9 creamy-white eggs and incubates them for approximately 28–30 days. The ducklings hatch covered in down, with their eyes open, and leave the nest soon after drying. They feed themselves but remain with the female for protection and guidance.

Identification Tips

  • Look for a large-headed, heavy-billed sea duck, usually close to shore in winter.
  • Adult males are almost entirely black, with conspicuous white patches on the forehead and nape and a large orange, white and black bill.
  • Females and immature birds are brownish, with two pale facial patches and a dark, sloping bill.
  • Surf Scoters often dive just before or beneath breaking waves, a useful clue when watching coastal flocks.
  • The male’s white facial markings and brightly coloured bill distinguish it from the all-dark male Black Scoter.
  • Compared with the male White-winged Scoter, the Surf Scoter has no obvious white wing patch and has a more vividly patterned bill. Females of both species are brown, so the facial pattern, bill shape and wing markings should be checked carefully.

Conservation Status

The Surf Scoter is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This global category does not mean that the species is free from risk. Scoters are difficult to monitor across their remote breeding range, and population estimates and trends remain uncertain in some areas.

Important threats include oil spills and other marine pollution, degradation of coastal and freshwater habitats, disturbance, changes in food availability and the effects of climate change on breeding and migration conditions. Conservation measures include protecting breeding lakes, coastal wintering areas and important moulting sites, reducing pollution risks, maintaining healthy wetland and marine ecosystems, and improving long-term population monitoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the Surf Scoter live?

The Surf Scoter breeds in northern Canada and Alaska and spends the non-breeding season mainly along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America. Migrating birds may also appear on inland lakes and reservoirs.

What does a Surf Scoter look like?

The adult male is black with white patches on the forehead and nape and a large orange, white and black bill. Females and immature birds are brownish, with two pale facial patches and dark bills.

What does the Surf Scoter eat?

Surf Scoters commonly eat mussels, clams, snails, crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates. On freshwater breeding grounds they also take aquatic insects, small aquatic animals and some plant material.

Where does the Surf Scoter nest?

It nests on the ground near remote freshwater lakes and ponds, usually in vegetation, beneath branches or beside other cover that conceals the nest from predators.

How many eggs does a Surf Scoter lay?

A female usually lays 6–9 eggs. She incubates them alone for about 28–30 days, and the downy ducklings leave the nest soon after hatching.

How can a Surf Scoter be distinguished from other scoters?

The adult male’s white facial markings and large, multicoloured bill are the clearest features. Females and immature birds can be separated from other scoters by their two pale facial patches, dark sloping bill and lack of the prominent white wing patch seen in White-winged Scoters.

References

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