Wildlife Fact Sheet

Surf Scoter

Melanitta perspicillata

Least Concern
Lifespan | Up to 11 years
Habitat | In the summer you can find surf scoters up north in fresh Arctic lakes. In the winter, they move south and stay in shallow bays and estuaries.
Range | In North America on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts
Preferred Food | Mainly mollusks, but also crustaceans, grasses and small fish

About

Surf scoters are among the flashiest sea ducks around! Their jet-black color, white patches on their heads and multi-colored beaks certainly make them stand out. Females are a little more subtle with their coloring—their brown heads and bodies help them blend into the wooded areas where they like to lay their eggs. You can find surf scoters in North America near bodies of water. They have to be close to the coast so they can easily find the mollusks, crustaceans, grasses and small fish that they like to eat. To get their meals, surf scoters dive through wave crests and down beneath the ocean surface, typically not below a depth of 30 feet.

Did You Know?

Surf scoters’ unique coloring led to their nickname of the “skunk-head coot.”

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Fast Facts

  • Surf Scoter
  • Surf Scoter