Key information
The common scoter is an all dark seaduck, the male is totally black and the female lighter, with a pale face. They are often seen as large bobbing rafts offshore, or long straggling lines flying along the coast.
The UK breeding population of this small diving seaduck has substantially declined and it is now a Red List species. It's listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Its winter populations are vulnerable to oil spills.
What they eat:
Molluscs.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 44-54cm
- Wingspan:
- 79-90cm
- Weight:
- 650-1,300g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 52 pairs
- UK wintering:
- 100,000 birds
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Common scoter (male)
Common scoter (female)
