Surf Scoter Images

Surf Scoter Images, Facts and Information:

Melanitta perspicillata

• Surf Scoters are medium-sized sea ducks with distinctive black and white plumage. Males have a striking black body, white patches on the forehead and nape, and a large, colorful bill. Females are dark brown with lighter patches on the cheeks and neck.
• Surf Scoters are migratory birds. They breed in northern Canada and Alaska and winter along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, from Alaska to California and from Newfoundland to Florida.
• Surf Scoters inhabit coastal marine environments, including bays, estuaries, and open ocean. During breeding season, they can be found near freshwater lakes and ponds in the boreal forest and tundra.
• Surf Scoters primarily feed on mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates. They dive to the ocean floor to forage, sometimes reaching depths of up to 30 feet.
• Surf Scoters lay 5 to 9 eggs which hatch in about 28 to 30 days. The females incubate and they are monogamous for the breeding season.
• Surf Scoters are often called “skunk-headed coots” due to their distinctive head markings. A group of scoters can be called a “raft”, “paddle”, or “scaup” of scoters.
• The oldest known Surf Scoter was over 10 years old.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Surf Scoter photos.