Melanitta deglandi
The White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) is a robust and distinctive sea duck, immediately recognizable by the striking white speculum on its otherwise dark wings, visible both in flight and at rest. Males are entirely velvety black with a glossy sheen, accentuated by a small, diagnostic white teardrop-shaped patch beneath the eye and a conspicuously swollen, orange-yellow bill featuring a black knob at the base. Females are duller sooty-brown, with two less distinct white patches on the ...
Breeding occurs on freshwater lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers within the boreal forests and tundra of North America. During winter, they migrate to coastal marine environments, congregating in shallow bays and estuaries, and also utilize large inland freshwater bodies like the Great Lakes.
Primarily bivalve mollusks (mussels, clams, oysters), crustaceans, and other marine invertebrates, with a smaller proportion of aquatic insects and plant material, obtained through deep-diving and bottom-feeding.
White-winged Scoters are primarily diurnal, spending much of their day diving for food, preening, and resting on the water's surface in large, often cohesive rafts during the non-breeding season. Their foraging strategy involves deep, powerful dives, propelled by large webbed feet, to access bent...
The White-winged Scoter's breeding range encompasses a broad swath of northwestern North America, stretching from Alaska and the Yukon eastward through the Canadian Prairies and boreal forests to parts of northern Manitoba and Ontario. They primarily nest near freshwater lakes and rivers within t...
Least Concern
- The White-winged Scoter is the deepest diving scoter, regularly reaching depths of 60 feet (18 meters) or more, and capable of dives exceeding 200 feet (60 meters) to forage. - Unlike many ducks, they use their large webbed feet, not their wings, for propulsion underwater, effectively 'flying' ...