Scoters
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The scoters are stocky seaducks in the genus Melanitta.
Description:
The drakes are mostly black and have swollen bills. Females are brown.
Range / Distribution:
They breed in the far north of Europe, Asia and North America, and winter further south in temperate zones of those continents. They form large flocks on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together.
Nesting:
Their lined nests are built on the ground close to the sea, lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra.
There are five species, grouped into two subgenera:
- subgenus Oidemia (Black and Common Scoters)
- subgenus Melanitta (Surf, Velvet and White-winged Scoters)
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Diet / Feeding:
Scoters dive for crustaceans and molluscs.
Ducks generally feed on larvae and pupae usually found under rocks, aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, small fish, snails and crabs.
Feeding Ducks ...
We all enjoy ducks and many of us offer them food to encourage them to come over and stay around - and it works! Who doesn't like an easy meal!
However, the foods that we traditionally feed them at local ponds are utterly unsuitable for them and are likely to cause health problems down the road. Also, there may be local laws against feeding this species of bird - so it's best to check on that rather than facing consequences at a later stage.
- Click here to find out which foods to feed them that will offer the nutrition they need to survive a cold winter and remain healthy
Related Website: Black Scoter (USGS)
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