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Diving ducks frequent large, deep lakes and rivers, as well as coastal bays and inlets. When launching into flight, most of this group patters along the water before becoming airborne. They feed by diving, often to considerable depths. Since their wings are smaller in proportion to the size and weight of their bodies, they have a more rapid wing beat than puddle ducks.
Sometimes known as "skunk-heads" due to the white patches on adult male's heads, the surf scoter is numerically probably the second most common of the three scoters, after the black scoter.
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Surf Scoter
Melanitta perspicillata
At-a-Glance
• Type: Diving duck
• Clutch Size: 5-7 eggs
• Typical Foods: aquatic invertebrates and fish
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Description
The male is black with white patches on the head and back of the neck. The bill is swollen at the base. The female is brownish-black with white patches on the cheeks.
Habitat and Habits
These bulbous-billed divers are sea ducks; much more common along ocean coasts than on inland freshwater. Most surf scoters in Ohio are either immature or female -- not the spectacular adult males. While mostly silent as they pass through Ohio, surf scoters can produce harsh croaking sounds, and males occasionally make a whistle.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Breeding takes place in northern Canada and Alaska. The nest is a depression in the ground concealed by vegetation. |
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