Birds Active during the day

White-winged Scoter

Melanitta deglandi

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

The White-winged Scoter is the 'heavyweight' of the sea duck world, easily recognized by its velvet-black coat and secret flashes of white. A master of the surf, this hardy diver thrives in the cold, wind-swept waters of the North American coastline.

0 Sightings

0 Habitats

Quick Identification

straighten

Size

Length: 48–60 cm (19–24 in); Wingspan: 86–104 cm (34–41 in); Weight: 1,000–2,100 g (2.2–4.6 lb)

palette

Colors

Males are velvety black with a white comma-shaped eye patch and white wing speculum; females are dark brown with pale facial patches and a matching white wing speculum.

visibility

Key Features

Bright white rectangular wing patch visible in flight
Distinctive white 'comma' or 'teardrop' marking under the male's eye
Sloping profile with a large, orange-tipped bill featuring a black hump at the base
Sturdy, heavy-bodied silhouette often seen low over the water

When You’ll See Them

schedule

Activity pattern Active during the day

brightness_5

Peak hours 7-11 AM, 3-6 PM

calendar_month

Season November-March (coastal), May-August (inland)

restaurant

Diet Primarily a carnivore that feeds on mollusks (clams, mussels), crustaceans, aquatic insects, and occasionally small fish or sea floor invertebrates.

park

Habitat Coastal bays, estuaries, and open ocean during winter; freshwater lakes, boreal forests, and prairie potholes during summer nesting.

public Geographic range

Where Does the White-winged Scoter Live?

Native to North America, the White-winged Scoter maintains a massive range that shifts seasonally across the continent. During the summer months, they are found breeding primarily in the northwestern interior, spanning from Alaska through central Canada and down into the northern Great Plains of the United States. As winter approaches, they migrate to the coastal edges of the continent, occupying the Pacific coast from the Aleutian Islands to Baja California, and the Atlantic coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence down to the shores of the Carolinas.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

3 Countries

6.5M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

CA Canada US United States MX Mexico

eco

iNaturalist / Verified observation data

View on iNaturalist open_in_new

Explore more Birds arrow_forward

Behavior

White-winged Scoters are highly social sea ducks, frequently gathering in large, dense flocks known as rafts when wintering along the coast. They are incredibly powerful swimmers and expert divers, using their partially opened wings to 'fly' underwater in search of shellfish. Unlike many other ducks, they are relatively wary of human activity and tend to stay several hundred yards offshore, though they may move closer to piers or breakwaters during calm weather or when food is abundant.

During the breeding season, their behavior shifts as they migrate inland to secluded freshwater lakes. They are typically quiet birds, but during courtship, the males perform elaborate displays involving head-shaking and short, whistling calls. Because of their heavy build, they require a long 'runway' to take off, pattering their feet across the water’s surface for a significant distance before becoming airborne.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

To capture the White-winged Scoter on camera, placement is everything. If you have a backyard or property bordering a coastal bay or a large northern lake, position your AI-powered camera on a low-profile tripod near the shoreline or on a dock. Angle the lens slightly upward to account for the waterline, and try to place it in a spot where the morning sun will be at your back. This lighting setup is crucial for capturing the iridescent sheen of the male's velvet-black plumage and the sharp contrast of his white eye marking.

Since these ducks are easily spooked by movement, use natural camouflage like driftwood, beach grass, or rocks to break up the silhouette of your camera housing. Scoters are most active during the daylight hours, particularly in the mid-morning when they are actively foraging. Setting your camera to a high-speed burst mode is highly recommended; this will allow you to catch the split-second action of a duck diving or the dramatic spray of water as they patter across the surface during takeoff.

While traditional bird feeders won't attract this species, you can increase your chances of a sighting by monitoring local tide charts. They often move closer to the shore during rising tides to access mollusk beds in shallower water. If you are using a trail camera in their inland breeding grounds, focus on small clearings near the edges of freshwater lakes where the brush is thick, as they prefer to nest on the ground well-hidden by vegetation.

Frequently Asked Questions

White-winged Scoters are diurnal, meaning they are most active during daylight hours. They spend the majority of the morning and afternoon diving for food and resting in large rafts on the water's surface.

You can only attract White-winged Scoters if your backyard is on a coastal or large lakefront. They are not attracted to seed feeders. The best way to 'attract' them is to maintain a clean, natural shoreline and minimize human disturbance, which may encourage them to forage closer to your property.

Their diet consists almost entirely of aquatic animals. In the ocean, they specialize in eating hard-shelled mollusks like mussels and clams, which they swallow whole. In freshwater, they eat crustaceans and aquatic insect larvae.

They are only common in suburban areas that are directly adjacent to large bodies of salt water or the Great Lakes during the winter. They are rarely seen in typical suburban neighborhoods or small park ponds.

The easiest way to distinguish them is the white wing patch; the White-winged Scoter has a bold white rectangle on its wings (visible at rest or in flight), while the Surf Scoter's wings are entirely black. Additionally, White-winged males have a small white 'comma' under the eye, whereas Surf Scoter males have large white patches on the forehead and nape.

Record White-winged Scoter at your habitat

Connect a camera to start building your own species record — AI identifies every visitor automatically.

Join free Identify a photo