Species
Melanitta perspicillata (Surf scoter)
Melanitta perspicillata. Photo: (c) Peter Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
The surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) is a large sea duck native to North America. Adult males are entirely black with characteristic white patches on the forehead and the nape and adult females are slightly smaller and browner. Surf scoters breed in Northern Canada and Alaska and winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America. Those diving ducks mainly feed on benthic invertebrates, mussels representing an important part of their diet.
Sightings
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