White-Winged Scoter
Melanitta deglandi
Also known as: American White-Winged Scoter
About This Species
White-winged Scoters are diving sea ducks that breed on boreal lakes and winter in large rafts on coastal waters, where they dive repeatedly for mollusks and other invertebrates. In flight, the white speculum patch on the trailing edge of the wing is a useful field mark distinguishing them from other scoters. Winter along temperate coastlines offers the most consistent viewing, with scanning a calm bay or headland at dawn often producing large, loosely aggregated rafts.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Viewing offshore rafts from shore or a slow-moving boat at a respectful distance avoids forcing repeated diving or flight, which costs the birds valuable energy reserves in winter.
- Breeding lakes are more sensitive, and approaching nesting or molting birds too closely can cause abandonment, so keep well back if encountered in the boreal breeding season.
- Waterfowl hunting and protection regulations differ between the countries across its range, so check local rules if visiting known breeding or wintering sites.
LCAvesAnseriformesAnatidae
Seasonal Activity
712,162 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
Photo
(c) Joanne Muis Redwood, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Joanne Muis Redwood
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.