Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Common Scoter
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Melanitta nigra
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Voice
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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43–54 cm long
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Stocky shape and large broad bill
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Breeding-plumaged male entirely black, with no white patches
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Female brown, with pale cheeks
About the species
In breeding plumage, the male Common Scoter is black from head to tail, with a broad bill marked yellow around the nostrils and a raised base. The female is brown with pale cheeks and a gray bill. In winter, both sexes are dark brown, with a gray-brown head and a paler lower face.
At sea, they gather in tightly packed flocks and tend to take off or dive together. They forage in smaller groups, and a male’s wings whistle in flight. Their fast, low flight is another way to spot them above the water.
They breed across the far north, nesting on the ground near the sea, lakes, or rivers, in woodland or tundra. In winter, they move south to temperate coasts, including those of Morocco. They dive for crustaceans and molluscs, and take aquatic insects and small fish in fresh water.
Where to find
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In winter along temperate coasts, look for tightly packed flocks of Common Scoters — they dive and take off together.
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At northern lakes and slow rivers, watch for dives in search of aquatic insects and small fish.
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In spring at the Strait of Dover, watch for the marked passage over the water.
