EntdeckenVögel

White-winged Scoter

Melanitta deglandi

The White-winged Scoter is a unique duck with striking white wing patches. They love to dive underwater to find tasty food like clams and snails. These birds are often seen in coastal areas during winter.

Lebensraum: Coastal areas

Aussehen

The White-winged Scoter is a large, bulky sea duck, predominantly black with a distinct white patch on its secondary wing feathers, visible in flight and at rest. Males have a bulbous orange-yellow bill with a black knob at the base, while females have a dusky bill and plainer head.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseAvesOrdnungAnseriformesFamilieAnatidaeGattungMelanitta

White-winged Scoter

Kategorie

Vögel

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Their fluffy, dark ducklings are almost black, perfectly camouflaged in their marshy nests!

They can stay underwater for over a minute, using wings to 'fly' for food!

Unlike many ducks, they nest in freshwater but prefer saltwater oceans for winter!

White-winged Scoters migrate over 3,000 miles from the Arctic to southern coasts!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

White-winged Scoters can dive over 60 feet deep because of their dense bones and powerful legs that help them reach food.

They have excellent underwater eyesight that helps them spot clams and mussels in murky seafloor environments.

The White-winged Scoter has a strong, broad bill that helps them crush hard-shelled mollusks and crustaceans.

Maße und Details

Länge: 48-58 cm
Flügelspannweite: 80-99 cm
Gewicht: 0.85-1.8 kg
Lebenserwartung: 10-15 Jahre
Top Speed: 80 km/h
Gelegegröße: 5-10
Brutzeit: 27-31 Tage
Zugstrecke: 4000 km

Ernährung und Fütterung

These diving ducks mostly feast on tasty shellfish and crustaceans found at the bottom of the water!

Altersunterschiede: Ducklings eat more insect larvae; adults primarily consume marine invertebrates.

Hauptnahrung

Mussels
Clams
Snails
Crustaceans
Small fish

Nahrungssuche

Pursuit

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Blue Mussel

Mytilus edulis

Primary food source found on the ocean floor.

eaten by

Baltic Clam

Macoma balthica

Key food source for scoters, found in shallow waters.

eats

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Adult eagles may prey on weak or young scoters.

eats

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Known to raid nests, eating eggs and young ducklings.

Merkmale

Gefiedert

Gefiedert beschreibt Tiere, hauptsächlich Vögel, die ein Federkleid besitzen.

Schwimmfüße

Zeichnet sich durch Zehen aus, die durch eine Membran verbunden sind und normalerweise das Schwimmen erleichtern.

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.