Velvet scoter
A sea duck that breeds in the sub-Arctic
The velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca) is a sea-duck that does not breed in the United Kingdom but is a winter visitor to the east coast of Scotland and some parts of England, notably Norfolk and the north-east. In Europe it is found in Scandinavia and Russia, and it is also resident in North America. It winters on European coasts around the North and Baltic Sea, and also in the Black Sea.
During winter it can also be found on inland water such as lakes, ponds and river estuaries.
The velvet scoter has amber status in terms of its vulnerability as a species. This is because of the dangers posed by oil spills and forms of pollution, and fluctuations in food supplies.
Appearance
It is a large, thickset duck with a long bill, thick neck, red legs and short, pointed tail. It measures some 55 centimetres (22 inches) in length. Male velvet scoters have plumage that is almost entirely black, except for a small white patch around the eye and white wing patches that are seen most clearly when the bird is in flight or flapping its wings when on the water. Female velvet scoters are brown; they lack the white eye patches but instead have two lighter patches on the side of the head below the level of the eye, one just to the front and the other just behind.