Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Scientific name definitions
- LC Least Concern
- Names (43)
- Monotypic
Text last updated September 9, 2014
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Species names in all available languages
Language | Common name |
---|---|
Albanian | Rosa e zezë |
Armenian | Սև տուրպան |
Asturian | Zapateru común |
Azerbaijani | Qara qılquyruq |
Basque | Ahatebeltz arrunta |
Bulgarian | Траурна потапница |
Catalan | ànec negre comú |
Chinese (SIM) | 普通海番鸭 |
Croatian | crna patka |
Czech | turpan černý |
Danish | Sortand |
Dutch | Zwarte zee-eend |
English | Common Scoter |
English (United States) | Common Scoter |
Faroese | Kolont |
Finnish | mustalintu |
French | Macreuse noire |
French (Canada) | Macreuse noire |
Galician | Mourelo eurasiático |
German | Trauerente |
Greek | (Ευρωπαϊκή) Μαυρόπαπια |
Hebrew | קטיפנית שחורה |
Hungarian | Fekete réce |
Icelandic | Hrafnsönd |
Italian | Orchetto marino |
Japanese | ヨーロッパクロガモ |
Latvian | Melnā pīle |
Lithuanian | Juodoji antis |
Norwegian | svartand |
Persian | سیاه اردک معمولی |
Polish | markaczka |
Portuguese (Portugal) | Negrola-comum |
Romanian | Rață neagră |
Russian | Синьга |
Serbian | Crni turpan |
Slovak | turpan čierny |
Slovenian | Črna raca |
Spanish | Negrón Común |
Spanish (Mexico) | Negreta Común |
Spanish (Spain) | Negrón común |
Swedish | sjöorre |
Turkish | Kara Ördek |
Ukrainian | Синьга євразійська |
Melanitta nigra (Linnaeus, 1758)
Definitions
- MELANITTA
- nigra
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Field Identification
43–54 cm; male 964–1339 g, female 973–1233 g, wingspan 79–90 cm (1). Distinguishable from other Melanitta by head and bill pattern, while lack of white in wing separates this species from M. fusca; female could be confused with same sex Netta rufina, which has more sharply demarcated greyish ear-coverts, paler brown upperparts, orange-brown tip to bill and has white in wing, as well as being unlikely to be seen at sea. Flight action is light, fast and direct, with rather long-necked appearance on water. Male is black with violet-blue gloss above (glossed green below), except flight feathers , which lack any sheen; bill dull black with yellow patch on culmen, legs and feet dull black or dark olive-grey, and irides dark brown. Does not have eclipse plumage like other Melanitta. Female is sooty black over crown (down to eye-level), dark brown at bill base , pale grey mottled buff-brown over rest of head , dark brown on mantle to rump and on underparts , glossed over breast and belly, and flight feathers also dark brown with paler webs, grey-brown on coverts; bill dark olive-brown to black, sometimes with pale yellowish streak, legs and feet olive-brown to black, and irides yellow-brown to brown. Juvenile resembles female but is paler, especially on underparts and lower half of head; male retains brown wing-coverts, flight feathers and underwing-coverts throughout first winter, while in second winter attains basal knob on bill and yellow eyering, with black wing-coverts and flight-feathers (but retains brown underwing-coverts), whereas young female retains juvenile wing feathers until Jul of first year, but is otherwise much like adult by this time; bare-parts colours of male in first winter characterized by more olive legs and feet and has paler yellow on bill. Male <em>M. americana</em> (which was formerly treated as conspecific with present species) differentiated by shape and pattern of shorter bill , the maxilla being yellow with black tip and edges, and all-yellow knob, which is wider and longer (but less swollen) than that of nominate (2), while has silver-grey inner webs to flight feathers of underwing , contrasting with black underwing-coverts (1); female M. americana can be unidentifiable versus that of present species, although at least some show variable (sometimes large) amounts of yellow on bill (usually none or very little in M. nigra) (3) and when head viewed in profile, feathering across most of base of maxilla appears straight or slightly convex (bulging) in M. nigra, but concave in M. americana (4), while first-winter males should be identifiable using same bill characteristics as adults (5).
Systematics History
Subspecies
Distribution
Breeds in E Greenland, Iceland and N Britain E across Scandinavia and N Russia to R Olenek, Siberia. Winters in Baltic Sea, on Atlantic coast of Europe and N Africa S to Mauritania, and in W Mediterranean.
Habitat
Breeds on freshwater pools, small lakes or slow-flowing rivers and streams in tundra, northern taiga or otherwise boggy country, sometimes with scattered trees, up to at least 700 m in Fennoscandia (2). Generally avoids steep slopes (2). Winters and moults mostly at sea, preferably in shallow waters (< 20 m deep) (2) off low-lying, exposed coasts (generally 0·5–2 km offshore) (1), but will also visit freshwater wetlands on migration (2).
Movement
Migratory, with initial movement away from breeding grounds to moult commencing in Jun (non-breeding immatures and adult males) and continuing until Aug, moving W past Pechora Delta, passing through White Sea, thence overland to Gulf of Finland and into Baltic, moulting in Wadden Sea, off France (e.g. Mont Saint-Michel Bay, where males arrive in mid Jul and females in late Aug) (8), S Wales (Carmarthen Bay) (2), English/Scottish border (Solway Firth) (9) and Danish Kattegat (2), with wintering birds reaching as far S as Morocco between late Sept to early Nov and peak migration through Baltic in Nov, or Nov to early Dec in North Sea, and return movement between late Feb and Apr in Atlantic and North Sea, versus Apr–May in Baltic (1). Winters at sea off Atlantic coast of Europe (N to Norway and W Baltic) and N Africa (S to Norway) (2), as well as W Mediterranean. Specific wintering grounds of those breeding in British Isles unknown, but Icelandic birds emigrate early Sept/early Oct (1). Off W Estonia, mean altitude of diurnal migration is 138 m (range 115–165 m) (10). Occurs irregularly further S of normal range, perhaps as result of hard weather, e.g., being accidental in following countries of W Palearctic: Austria, Balearic Is, Malta, Greece, Albania, former Yugoslavia, Belarus, Turkey, Cyprus, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Azores (including an Icelandic bird) (11), Madeira and Canary Is (1). Claims in Kazakhstan not generally accepted (12).
Diet and Foraging
Mostly molluscs (30 different spp. (13), e.g. Macoma balthica, Cerastroderma edule, Mytilus edulis, Mya arenaria, Spisula subtruncata, Arctica islandica, Donax vittatus, Tellina tenuis and Venus coralline) (9), occasionally other aquatic invertebrates (crustaceans , worms, insects) and small fish; also some plant material (seeds, roots, tubers). Winter diet comprises saltwater molluscs, although unlikely that is species specific in choice of prey, with selection most likely to be determined by prey abundance, morphology, digestibility, energy content, abundance and accessibility (13), taking Spisula subtruncata in North Sea, Mya truncata and Macoma balthica in the Baltic Sea, while off Denmark at this season Mytilis edulis and Cardium dominate, albeit are supplemented by range of echinoderms, crustacea, annelid worms, ispods and amphipods, and off S Wales Pharus legumen found to be important constituent of diet (2). In summer females rather dependent on chironomid larvae and cladocerans, while ducklings initially take seeds and adult insects from water surface, before switching to same diet as females (2). Feeds almost exclusively by diving, typically to 1–3·7 m, although dives of up to 30 m apparently recorded (9), and in UK study typical duration of dives is c. 35 seconds (13). Forms large, dense flocks at sea (in winter with males predominating in N of range, females and immatures in S) and on passage (1), but generally feeds in smaller, looser groups, which may consort with other species of seaducks, grebes (Podiceps spp.), divers (Gavia spp.) and auks (Alcidae) and tend to dive and surface synchronously (14) or almost so (13).
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Usually silent (although arguably more vocal than other Melanitta) (1), but males produce thin, piping whistles that may be audible over reasonable distances in calm weather, while females have harsh rasping notes, while both sexes give “gyu” calls at night on migration (2). For differences between vocalizations of present species and those of M. americana, see the latter species.
Breeding
Starts May/Jun, with first broods recorded in Scotland in Jul (2). Arrives on breeding grounds in pairs, which form in winter, although courtship continues into May, and male deserts female shortly after incubation starts (1, 2); females, at least, show strong site fidelity, at least in Iceland, where up to 77–93% of surviving birds returned to same area to breed in consecutive seasons (15). In single pairs, e.g. at density of 6 pairs/ha in Ireland (2); nest is scrape on ground, lined with grass, moss, lichens and down, hidden among vegetation or below shrub, and sometimes far from water (2). Single-brooded, but may initiate smaller replacement clutch if sufficient time (2). Usually 6–8 cream to buff eggs (4–11, with clutch size being determined by available food and larger clutches possibly result of egg dumping) (1, 2), size 59–72 mm × 42–47 mm, mass 60–74 g (2). Incubation c. 27–31 days by female alone (2); chicks have grey-brown or dark chocolate-brown down above and on breast, paler greyish below, with grey-brown bill except reddish nail and yellowish nostrils, and dark olive legs and feet (2). Fledging 45–50 days, with young tended by female alone, who, in Scotland, escorts ducklings to freshwater loch within peatlands during brood-rearing phase (although nest is typically near highly acidic lakes or along rivers) (2). Nesting success 57–89% in Iceland, but in Ireland just 16 of 36 nests held eggs that hatched, principally due to corvid predation, while there is virtually no data concerning duckling survival (2). Sexual maturity at 2–3 years; oldest ringed bird 16 years old, but annual adult survival rates virtually unknown (2), except for Icelandic females which averaged 78% (15).
Conservation Status
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread and common over most of range, but probably certain reduction in numbers at present, at least in some areas. Has occasionally bred outside main range, e.g. on Bear I and Spitsbergen, the Faeroes and Latvia (L Engure, 1962–1968), while Ireland was colonized in 1905 (1). Reduction in numbers may be due to contraction in extent of suitable breeding habitat (scoters breed further S and thus in less remote places than other seaducks), to oil pollution (and other types of pollution) or to some unknown factors, perhaps related with food (e.g. commercial fishing of shellfish) (2), development of offshore wind farms (16, 2, 17, 18) or predation on nesting grounds (the latter possibly indirectly induced by man). Species is not important quarry species, but local people harvest eggs in some areas, e.g. parts of Iceland (15). On wintering grounds, large numbers may be taken as bycatch in gill nets (e.g. c. 1000 per annum in Gulf of Gdańsk, Poland) (19). Recent study indicates decline of 47·5% in total numbers wintering in Baltic Sea, from 783,000 in 1988–1993 to 412,000 in 2007–2009, i.e. 26% of NW European winter population presently occurs in Baltic, compared to at least 49% in 1988–1993 (20). Local increases (and declines) also reported elsewhere, e.g. in Ireland, where nutrient enrichment initially benefitted birds, but ongong eutrophication subsequently has made habitat unsuitable for species since 1970s (2). However, rate of any possible decline not exceedingly rapid at moment, and population still rather large: at least 1,600,000 wintering in W Palearctic (though see above), where up to 150,000 moult in Wadden Sea, with at least 50,000 in Danish Kattegat, 10,000–15,000 in France (8) and > 10,000 in Britain, and huge numbers observed on paasage in certain areas (e.g. up to 1,500,000 recorded on passage through Gulf of Finland, more recently 436,000 past Vyborg and 190,000 past Puhtu), while up to 950,000 have been recorded in winter off Denmark, 1,200,000 in the entire Baltic in 1993 and 400,000 along Atlantic seaboard (of which just 5500 off Morocco, 27,000 off Portugal and 45,000 off France) (2). Breeding populations in W Palearctic as follows (mainly based on late 1980s/early 1990s figures): Iceland, 400–600 pairs; Britain, c. 100 pairs (and declining despite provision of artificial breeding islands (21), with just 52 pairs during complete census in 2007 and 14–26 pairs in 2011) (22, 23); Ireland, 60–70 pairs (100 pairs in 1995) (24); Norway, 1000–5000 pairs; Sweden, 1500–3000 pairs; Finland, 1000–1500 pairs; and Russia, 100,000–120,000 pairs (1).
- Year-round
- Migration
- Breeding
- Non-Breeding