Surf Scoter

Fairly common along the coast in the winter, sometimes abundant. Wintering birds mostly arrive in the area in mid-October and remain through the following March and into early April, but a Surf Scoter may turn up in any month of the year, as a fair number typically hang around over the summer, notably in the Bodega Bay area. Breeds in the far north of Canada and Alaska. Winters here and all along the Pacific Coast (and the Atlantic coast). Usually in flocks--sometimes big flocks of hundreds or even thousands of birds. Large flocks can be seen during migration off Bodega Head. Often present at Campbell Cove and in the Bodega Bay area generally. Not highly vocal, but wings have a distinctive whistle in flight.

An adult male Surf Scoter is hard to miss: The mostly black plumage contrasts sharply with its oddly shaped and colored bill and its bright red legs. The bright white eye and two white patches on the head (at the forehead and the nape) stand out as well. Common names include “skunkhead” and “skunk-headed coot.” The bill is an adaptation for cracking shellfish, its preferred food. Also eats crustaceans and insects. Rarely eats vegetation. Sloping forehead makes the head look like a brightly colored doorstop.

Females are dark brown with a nearly black bill shaped like the male’s and two pale spots on the face, one directly behind the bill, the other behind and below the eye. Female has a darkish cap. Note that field guides often make the facial patches look much more distinct than they tend to appear in the field. Sometimes they are quite subtle, and, at a distance, even a distinctly marked female may simply seem to have a pale, brownish face.

The front-most patch in female Surf Scoter has a cut-off look where it abuts the base of the bill. Female White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca) also has two pale spots on the face, but the shape of these is different, and, given a long look, White-winged Scoter at rest on the sea will eventually show a flash of white at the flank, which is the white wing patch that gives the bird its common name (the patch is conspicuous in flight). Female Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) looks similar as well, but bill shape is entirely different. Note that female Surf Scoter and immature male Surf Scoter may show a hint of the white patch at the nape to varying degrees.