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Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Velvet Scoter

 

Awaiting image for this species

 

Velvet Scoter

(White-winged Scoter, Astracannet)

Melanitta fusca

Gaelic: Lach-dubh

 

• Velvet Scoter (White-winged Scoter, Astracannet)
• Melanitta fusca
• Gaelic: Lach-dubh
• UK: Passage/Winter Visitor
• UK: AMBER LIST. 3000 birds (Winter) BTO
• WI: Scarce passage visitor or winter visitor (very small numbers recorded in most years, & fewer since 1980's)
• Breeds: Nests on the ground near sea, lakes or rivers (Woodland or Tundra). North Europe, Asia, North America,
• Winters: (Migration - seacoast or lochs). Temperate zones. Europe, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Caspain Sea, USA:
• Diet: Dives for molluscs, crustaceans
• Black seaduck. Bulky shape. Large bill. Thick lower neck. Pointed tail.
  Male all black, except for white under eye & white wing patches. Bulbous yellow bill with black base. Females sooty-brown. Pale patch side of head & white wing patches.
  Flight: white patch on rear of wing (glimpse also when swimming). Forms tight flocks on coastal waters
• Similar birds: Common Scoter, Surf Scoter (rare), Eider,

 

 

Velvet Scoter records in the Western Isles

Scarce passage visitor or winter visitor (very small numbers recorded in most years, & fewer since 1980's)
Source: Outer Hebrides Bird Report (2001)

Taransay sound is a good site to see the Velvet Scoter in autumn - winter.

 

 

The chart below shows how abundant the Velvet Scoter is during a month or when you are more likely to see it.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

(Source: Outer Hebrides Birds Checklist)

 

Male or female ducks and their collective nouns

Some people use the word duck only for an adult female and drake for an adult male whilst others say hen and drake.

Waterfowl collective nouns (From WIKI):
waterfowl (on water)	A raft
waterfowl	A bunch of waterfowl
waterfowl (less than 30)	A knob
ducks, swimming	A paddling of ducks
waterfowl	A plump
ducks, idle in water	A raft of ducks
ducks, diving	A dopping of ducks
ducks, on ground	A badelynge of ducks
ducks, flying	A flight, plump, or team of ducks
ducks	A brace, bunch, flock, skein, sord, string, brace, flush

 

 

 

Other local bird photographs

Sources of information for the bird sightings section

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