Ducks & Geese

Surf Scoter

Brillenente

Melanitta perspicillata

Ducks & Geese4 photosFirst seen: 12 July 2026

The Surf Scoter is a large sea duck found only in North America. Adult males are black with white patches on the head and a swollen multicoloured bill, while females are dark brown with pale facial patches. It dives for mussels, clams and other bottom-dwelling prey in coastal water. Breeding takes place on remote boreal and subarctic lakes. On the Pacific coast, large flocks may gather where herring are spawning.

ID tip: No white shows in the wing at any age or sex. This is the fastest split from White-winged Scoter; against Black Scoter, look for the pale nape patch and the long, sloping, bulbous bill profile.

First seen: 12 July 2026 · Westport Jetty · 4 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Westport Jetty12 July 2026

Family: Ducks & Geese (Anatidae)
Length: 45–56 cm
Wingspan: 76–92 cm
Regional status: Winter visitor (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Inshore salt water, Puget Sound, bays, surf zones over shellfish beds
Diet: Mussels, clams and other molluscs, taken by diving

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Surf Scoter

Places in my records

Selected photographs