Common Scoter
Melanitta nigra
Where is it found?
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Ocean, rivers and lakes.
Diet and foraging method
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Finds food by diving beneath the surface of the water.
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Key adaptations
Large bill allows Scoters to take large prey items like crabs and clams.
Social organisation
Flocks
Did you know that...?
Common Scoters are highly social, and have been seen in winter flocks of up to 100,000 individuals!
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Eurasian common scoter" by Jason Thompson - Flickr: eurasian common scoter. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eurasian_common_scoter.jpg#/media/File:Eurasian_common_scoter.jpg
"Sjöorre - Common Scoter" by Stefan Berndtsson - Sjöorre / Common Scoter. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sj%C3%B6orre_-_Common_Scoter.jpg#/media/File:Sj%C3%B6orre_-_Common_Scoter.jpg
"Melanitta nigra MWNH 1025" by Klaus Rassinger und Gerhard Cammerer, Museum Wiesbaden - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melanitta_nigra_MWNH_1025.JPG#/media/File:Melanitta_nigra_MWNH_1025.JPG
"Melanitta nigra". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melanitta_nigra.jpg#/media/File:Melanitta_nigra.jpg
"Eurasian common scoter" by Jason Thompson - Flickr: eurasian common scoter. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eurasian_common_scoter.jpg#/media/File:Eurasian_common_scoter.jpg
"Sjöorre - Common Scoter" by Stefan Berndtsson - Sjöorre / Common Scoter. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sj%C3%B6orre_-_Common_Scoter.jpg#/media/File:Sj%C3%B6orre_-_Common_Scoter.jpg
"Melanitta nigra MWNH 1025" by Klaus Rassinger und Gerhard Cammerer, Museum Wiesbaden - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melanitta_nigra_MWNH_1025.JPG#/media/File:Melanitta_nigra_MWNH_1025.JPG
"Melanitta nigra". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melanitta_nigra.jpg#/media/File:Melanitta_nigra.jpg
