Black Scoter
Melanitta americana
Near Threatened (IUCN Red List)Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
Photo: Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA · Wikimedia · CC-BY 2.0 (licence)
Call and song
Recording 1 · song
Recording 2
Recording 3
About the Black Scoter
Plump diving duck, typically seen in flocks in coastal areas. Males are completely black with bright orange knob on the bill. Females are brown overall with pale cheek and contrasting dark cap. Note potbellied shape and rounded head in flight. Typically coastal, but migrates over land especially in the Northeast U.S. Often gathers in tight flocks. Dives frequently, feeding on aquatic invertebrates. Breeds on ponds in Arctic tundra.
Species account: eBird.org, fetched 2025-12-26 · How these pages are made
Where it has been recorded
Recorded in 26 of the 253 countries we have eBird lists for. Each opens that country's checklist.
