Fauna
Bird

Surf Scoter

Melanitta perspicillata

Also known as Skunk-headed Coot, Skunk Duck

Surf scoters gather in restless, churning flocks along pounding coastlines, plunging beneath breaking waves to wrest mussels and clams from the ocean floor. Breeding pairs slip away each spring into remote boreal muskegs and tundra ponds across northern Canada and Alaska to nest quietly amid dense shore cover. Distinctive for their swollen, multi-colored bills and dramatic head patterns, males court females with low gurgling whistles and head-lifting displays before molting together on open saltwater.

Sea DuckDiving BirdMigratory
Surf Scoter reference1 / 7
(c) Becky Matsubara, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyBlue Mussel, Pacific Herring Roe, Green Crab
Predators
  • Bald Eagle
  • Peregrine Falcon
  • Northern Pike
ThreatsMarine oil spills, heavy metal contamination, commercial aquaculture disturbance, and climate shifts
HabitatsBoreal lakes, muskegs, and coastal marine waters including bays, estuaries, and surf zones
Life span10–15 years
Classification
  1. FamilyAnatidae
  2. SpeciesMelanitta perspicillata
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Winter Scouting: Scan rocky headlands and coastal bays with a spotting scope between October and April.
  • Synchronized Feeding: Watch for large rafts diving simultaneously directly into pounding surf zones.
  • Breeding Caution: Keep wide distances from northern boreal lakes in June to protect concealed ground nests.
Related species
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