Black Scoter
From Natural History of Southeast Alaska
| Locale | Sp | Su | F | W | Br |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE Alaska (edit) | U | R | U | U | - |
| Yakutat (edit) | FC | U | FC | C | - |
| Skagway (edit) | + | + | - | - | - |
| Haines (edit) | R | R | R | R | - |
| Glacier Bay (edit) | U | R | U | FC | - |
| Juneau (edit) | O | R | O | U | - |
| Sitka (edit) | U | VR | U | R | - |
| Stikine (edit) | |||||
| S Outer Islands (edit) | |||||
| Ketchikan (edit) | U | VR | U | U | - |
| Offshore (edit) |
Found in nearshore salt water environments, in most locations in relatively small numbers (especially compared to other scoter species).
- Consistently more abundant around Yakutat?
- Difference between Haines and Skagway abundance reflect actual differences, or the way folks have described similar abundance at the two locations?
- Possibly wintering in the region in areas not often visited? Apparently more abundant both to the south and west (per BoW) - curious about apparent scarcity in SEAK.
SEAK QBR Mentions
- F2009: Flock of 400 near Pleasant Island, Icy Strait on 1 Sept. Most had departed the next day. Very large concentration for SEAK and unusually early. Typical arrival is early October.
- W2009-2010: New local high count at GUS with 420 on 6 February. JNU had 45 on 8 Feb second largest local count by observer.
- W2010-2011: New local high count at GUS with 478 on 17 December
- W2013-2014: Est. 450 near GUS on 27 Feb. In recent years, GUS area has provided highest winter counts of this species.
Local Notes
- Glacier Bay/Black Scoter: (edit)
- Haines/Black Scoter: (edit)
- Juneau/Black Scoter: (edit)
- Ketchikan/Black Scoter: (edit)
- Sitka/Black Scoter: Uncommon during migration, Rare in winter and Very Rare in summer along the road system. Sometimes seen in flocks of Surf Scoters. Best observed between Crescent Harbor and Totem Park or along Halibut Point Road, including HPR Recreation Area. Apparently formerly more abundant than in recent years. (edit)
- Skagway/Black Scoter: (edit)
- Yakutat/Black Scoter: (edit)
References
Weblinks
- All About Birds Page for Black Scoter
- Search Arctos Database for Black Scoter (Southeast only)
- Search Arctos Database for Black Scoter (entire database)
- Encyclopedia of Life search for Melanitta americana
- iNaturalist Observations for Melanitta americana in Southeast Alaska
Other References
Related Files
Black Scoter with Surf Scoters near Totem Park
Adult male Black Scoter
Plot of Black Scoter observations in Sitka
