Latest Melanitta Stories
More than 100 dead and dying sea ducks found on two Washington state beaches likely were sickened by a toxic algae bloom, wildlife officials said. Most of the dead and sick birds were white-winged scoters and surf scoters that eat shellfish, said Julia Parrish, executive director of Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team. The dead and sick ducks began appearing Friday on Kalaloch and LaPush beaches on the Washington Coast. If you go to outer coast beaches, you might normally see one...
Latest Melanitta Reference Libraries
The White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi or Melanitta fusca deglandi) is a bulky sea duck. It is characterized by its large bill and bulky shape. This is the biggest species of Scoter. The females range from 2.1 to 4.2 lbs and 19 to 22 inches, averaging 2.6 lbs and 21 inches. She is brown with pale patches on her head. The male ranges from 3 to 4.7 lbs and from 21 to 24 inches, averaging 3.6 lbs and 22 inches. He is all black, except for white around the eye and a white speculum. This...
The Black or American Scoter (Melanitta americana) is a species of sea duck found in the far north of North America in Labrador and Newfoundland to the southeast Hudson bay, in Alaska. It is also found on the Siberian side of the Bering Straits east of the Yana River. It migrates further south for the winter months along the coasts of the USA and Canada, and as far south as the Gulf of Mexico. It also winters in Asia as far south as China. Adult black scoters are 17 to 19.25 inches in...
The Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchus labradorius), was an eider-like sea duck that was never known to be common, and is believed to be the first duck to go extinct in North America after 1500. The last Labrador Duck is believed to have been seen in Elmira, New York on December 12, 1878. The last preserved specimen was shot in 1875 on Long Island. It was thought to breed in Labrador and wintered from Nova Scotia to as far south as Chesapeake Bay. The Labrador Duck was also known by many...
The Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra) is a large sea duck, 44-54 cm in length, which breeds over the far north of Europe, Asia and North America. There are two subspecies; the American race (M. n. Americana), known as the Black Scoter, is sometimes given specific status. It winters further south in temperate zones, on the coasts of the northern USA, Europe as far south as Great Britain, and Asia as far south as China. It forms large flocks on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed...
