Also known as Melanitta fusca
species of bird
A Velvet Scoter is a type of diving duck found in northern waters across the Northern Hemisphere. It matters to wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists because it's an important species for understanding ocean ecosystems and waterfowl populations in cold-water regions.
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velvet scoter
Species
A medium-sized duck (21 inches), the male White-winged Scoter is most easily identified by its black body, white wing patches, and white eye-stripes. The female is dark brown rather than black, but retains this species’ characteristic white wing patches. Duck hunters often refer to scoters as “coots,” although their resemblance to “real” coots is limited to their shared dark body pattern and is entirely superficial. The White-winged Scoter inhabits a large part of the Northern Hemisphere. In the New World, this species breeds in western Canada and Alaska, wintering along the Pacific coast from Alaska south to Baja California, on the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland south to northern Florida, and along the Gulf coast from Florida to Texas. In the Old World (where it is known as the Velvet Scoter), this species breeds in northern Europe and Siberia, wintering along the coast of Western Europe and East Asia. White-winged Scoters breed in ponds and lakes in northern forest near the tree line at the edge of the tundra. In winter, this species may be found in saltwater estuaries, bays, and near-shore waters along the coast. White-winged Scoters primarily eat bottom-dwelling mollusks and
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The velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca) is a large sea duck, which breeds over the far north of Europe and the Palearctic west of the Yenisey basin. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek melas "black" and netta "duck". The species name is from the Latin fuscus "dusky brown".
Taxonomy
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