Photo: Surf Scoter, Eric Reuter
Winter is Coming When the Surf Scoters and Waterfowl Arrive
Jessica Bigger
Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) are one of the many seabirds we get to see during the winter months here in Northern Virginia. They are easy to spot, especially the males, by their black and white patched heads and bright orange, white and black bills. They even have their own nickname, “old skunk-head,” because of the white and black patches on their heads. The female’s plumage on the other hand is not as spectacular as the male’s. Females are brown with two small white patches on their faces.
For most bird species, males and females court during the breeding season, but not Surf Scoters. They find their mates during the nonbreeding season and then fly together to their breeding grounds when it’s time to mate. During winter, the male will swim back and forth with his head erect, occasionally dipping his bill into the water. As he approaches the female, he will shake his head, preen and gurgle. After the breeding season Surf Scoters fly to a protective location, away from harsh storms and predators, to molt before heading to their wintering grounds. While they are molting, Surf Scoters are unable to fly.
Surf Scoters can be found on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, and occasionally inland on lakes and reservoirs where they avoid storms off the coast. While bobbing up and down in the water, Scoters dive down to the bottom to feed on small mollusks, snails, small crabs, sea squirts, hydrozoans, and a variety of marine worms. They even eat sea vegetation on occasion. To protect themselves from the high salinity levels in the ocean, Surf Scoters have glands above their eyes to remove the salt from the oceans and bays they swim in. The salt concentrates in the blood and then is excreted out of their nostrils.
As with all bird species, climate change will affect the Surf Scoters’ breeding and wintering ranges. According to the National Audubon Society, if the earth’s temperature increases 1.5 degrees Celsius, the Surf Scoter population will lose 10% of its range in the southern and middle regions of Canada. If the temperature increases to 2.0 degrees Celsius, the species will lose 39% of its range. If the temperature reaches 3.0 degrees Celsius (that is if nations around the world do almost nothing to curb greenhouse gases), Scoters will lose 62% of their habitat in Canada.
At this moment, the Surf Scoter population is stable, but impacts from climate change (harsh weather patterns and rising sea levels) and habitat loss will negatively impact the population. It’s an important reminder for all of us who care about birds to advocate for governments around the world to start shifting away from carbon-based energy to more renewable energy resources, like wind and solar power.
Sources:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Surf_Scoter/overview
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/surf-scoter
https://blackhills-audubon.org/bird-of-the-season-surf-scoters/