Photo: Peter Massas / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black Scoter
Melanitta americana
Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) — Ducks, Geese & Swans of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) is a member of the Anatidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 1.1 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Anseriformes
- Family Anatidae Ducks, Geese, Swans
- Genus Melanitta
- Species americana
Where it lives
Yana River to Kamchatka (eastern Siberia), Alaska east to northwestern Yukon; eastern Northwest Territories and southwestern Nunavut to Newfoundland (central to eastern Canada)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Anatidae
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black Scoter hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Black Scoter is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) is a member of the Anatidae family, within the order Anseriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers PAL, NA Yana River to Kamchatka (e Siberia), Alaska e to nw Yukon; e Northwest Territories and sw Nunavut to Newfoundland (c to e Canada).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.1 kg, with a wing length of about 22 cm and a tail of around 7.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black Scoter?
The Black Scoter is a very large bird that weighs around 1.1 kg.
Where does the Black Scoter live?
The Black Scoter is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering PAL, NA Yana River to Kamchatka (e Siberia), Alaska e to nw Yukon; e Northwest Territories and sw Nunavut to Newfoundland (c to e Canada), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Black Scoter belong to?
The Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) belongs to the Anatidae family, in the order Anseriformes.
What does the Black Scoter eat?
The Black Scoter hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Black Scoter migrate?
The Black Scoter is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Black Scoter endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Black Scoter make?
1 real field recording of the Black Scoter — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black Scoter's range?
The Black Scoter has a mapped global range of about 3.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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