Common Scoter
Melanitta nigra
A mid-sized, all-dark sea duck (males are black, females brownish with paler cheeks). Common Scoters gather in flocks offshore, sometimes in the company of other diving ducks or seaducks, dipping below the surface for molluscs and crustaceans.
- Habitat: Open sea, coastal bays, and deeper offshore waters.
- Diet / Food: Primarily molluscs, including cockles and mussels, plus small crustaceans.
- Length: 44–54 cm