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ODNR Division of Wildlife - Fishing - Trout Stockings
ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Black Scoter

 Black Scoter

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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 patter 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 wingbeat than puddle ducks.

Numerically, this is the most frequent scoter most years. Flocks numbering into the hundreds are occasionally seen on Lake Erie.


Black Scoter
Melanitta nigra

At-a-Glance

• Type: Diving duck

• Incubation: 30-31 days

• Clutch Size: 6-9 eggs

• Young Fledge: 45-50 days after hatching

• Typical Foods: aquatic invertebrates and fish

 
Description
The male black scoter is entirely black and has a bright orange-yellow knob on his bill. The female is a sooty color with light cheeks that contrast with a dark cap. In flight, the underwing of this species shows a two-toned effect that is more pronounced than in other scoters.

Habitat and Habits
Cold, blustery November days are best for scoter-watching on Lake Erie, as this is when flocks are most likely to be observed passing by offshore. Often, a few surf and white-winged scoters will be intermixed with black scoter flocks. Scoters are sea ducks; an apropos name as they spend most of their lives along coastal areas of oceans. Males emit a curious piping whistle, rarely heard here.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
The nest is a down-lined cup of grass hidden in a rock crevice or clump of grass near the edge of water.