Melanitta fusca
The Velvet Scoter (*Melanitta fusca*) is a large, distinctive sea duck, a captivating member of the Anatidae family, specifically within the genus *Melanitta*. Adults typically measure 51-58 cm (20-23 in) in length with a wingspan of 90-100 cm (35-39 in) and weigh between 1.1-1.9 kg (2.4-4.2 lbs), making it one of the heavier diving ducks. Males are strikingly glossy black, featuring a diagnostic white patch on the secondaries of the wing, prominent both in flight and at rest, along with a sm...
Primarily found in large, shallow freshwater lakes and slow-moving rivers in boreal forests and tundra during the breeding season, transitioning to shallow coastal marine waters, estuaries, and large inland seas during winter.
Predominantly bivalve mollusks (mussels, clams) and crustaceans, supplemented with aquatic insects, larvae, and small fish, all obtained by expert diving.
Velvet Scoters are largely diurnal, dedicating much of their day to diving for food in shallow waters, often remaining submerged for 30-60 seconds. Outside the breeding season, they are highly gregarious, forming vast, dense rafts on coastal waters that can number in the thousands. During courtsh...
The nominate subspecies, *Melanitta fusca fusca*, breeds across the northern Palearctic, extending from Scandinavia eastward through European Russia and Siberia as far as the Yenisei River. Its extensive breeding range encompasses boreal forests and vast tundra zones, primarily around large, shal...
Vulnerable
- The Velvet Scoter's scientific name *Melanitta fusca* translates roughly to 'blackish dusky,' referring to its dark plumage. - Unlike many other ducks, the white secondary patch of the Velvet Scoter is visible even when the bird is at rest, making it a key identification mark. - Male Velvet Sco...