Common Scoter
_-_Spiekeroog,_Nationalpark_Nieders%C3%A4chsisches_Wattenmeer.jpg/960px-M%C3%A4nnliche_Trauerente_(Melanitta_nigra)_-_Spiekeroog,_Nationalpark_Nieders%C3%A4chsisches_Wattenmeer.jpg)
Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Uncommon bird: +3 points when you log it.
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Inshore sea (winter).
Diet: Molluscs.
Best time to spot: All-black male; "piping" calls.
When to look
Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. More on the season in UK winter wildfowl.
How rare is it?
The Common Scoter sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.
Where to see it
Reserves where the Common Scoter is on the list:
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Surf ScoterRare · Coastal seas (winter vagrant)
- Velvet ScoterRare · Coastal seas (winter)
- Common Scoter (eastern)Epic · Coastal seas (very rare)
- Stejneger's ScoterLegendary · Sea
- White-winged ScoterLegendary · Sea
- Barnacle GooseUncommon · Coastal grassland (winter)
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.
Log a Common Scoter in your free UK Birdedex