Surf Scoter

The Surf Scoter is a chunky black sea duck instantly recognizable by the male's bold, multicolored bill patch of orange, white, and black, paired with white patches on the forehead and nape that give rise to the old nickname "skunk-headed coot." Females are sooty brown overall with faint pale patches on the face and a plainer dark bill.

Surf Scoters breed on boreal lakes and winter along rocky and sandy coastlines, where they are often seen diving through crashing surf, riding out the waves with remarkable ease.

Key field marks

• All-black male body with a swollen, brightly patterned orange-white-black bill and white patches on the forehead and nape
• Female: dark brownish overall with two indistinct pale face patches and a plain dark bill
• Stocky, large-headed profile; flies in loose lines low over the water

Similar species

The White-winged Scoter is larger, shows a white speculum patch in the wing (visible in flight or as a fold on the swimming bird), and has a comma-shaped white eye mark rather than the Surf Scoter's forehead/nape patches. The Black Scoter male is entirely black except for a yellow-orange knob at the base of the bill, lacking white head patches altogether.

Surf Scoters breed on freshwater lakes and ponds in the boreal forest and forest-tundra of Canada and Alaska. In winter, they move to coastal waters, favoring both rocky shorelines and sandy nearshore zones along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, where they dive through the surf to feed.

Behavior

Surf Scoters dive to the seabed for food, often in the turbulence of breaking waves, and typically gather in flocks that can number in the hundreds or thousands during migration and winter.

Voice

Generally quiet; males give low guttural or gurgling calls during courtship, while females give harsh croaking notes.

Feeding

Mollusks, especially mussels and clams, along with crustaceans, obtained by diving in shallow coastal waters.

Nesting

Nests on the ground near freshwater lakes in the boreal forest, well hidden in low vegetation; clutches typically hold 5-9 eggs.