(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - scoter, surf
OTHER COMMON NAMES - coot, bald-headed coot, baldplate, bay coot, muscovie, beach comber, black coot, black duck, black sea-duck, blossom bill, booby, bottlenosed diver, brown coot, surf coot, skunkhead and coot
ELEMENT CODE - 04/17/84
AOU CODE - 08/29/86
CATEGORY - Birds
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - Chordata, Vertebrata
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Aves,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Anseriformes,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Anatidae, Aythyinae
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Melanitta,
SPECIES AND SSP - perspicillata,
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Melanitta perspicillata
AUTHORITY -
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 609
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
AKA coot, bald-headed coot, baldplate, bay coot, bay
muscovie, beach comber, black coot, black duck, black sea-duck, blossom
bill, booby, bottlenosed diver, brown coot, surf coot *554*; skunkhead
coot *540*
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Federal Migratory
Game (Consumptive Recreational)
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 609 and 828
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
References on County Occurrence - 001, 059, 073, 093, 099, 103, 115, 119, 131, 133, 153, 179, 193, 199, 650, 700, 710, 740, 800, 810, CB1, CB2, CB3 and AO1
References on County Abundance - 001, 059, 073, 093, 099, 103, 115, 119, 131, 133, 153, 179, 193, 199, 650, 700, 710, 740, 800, 810, CB1, CB2, CB3, AO1 and 999
REFERENCES FOR HYDROLOGIC UNIT CODES - 001, 059, 073, 093, 099, 103, 115, 119, 131, 133, 153, 179, 193, 199, 650, 700, 710, 740, 800, 810, CB1, CB2, CB3, AO1 and 999
OTHER DISTRIBUTION
REFERENCES FOR OTHER DISTRIBUTION - H
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - Aquatic
REFERENCES FOR HABITAT - 609
LAND USE -
Streams and Canals
Reservoirs
Water
Lakes
Bays and Estuaries
Wetland
Forested Wetland
Nonforested Wetland
REFERENCES FOR LAND USE - 4512, 4513, 4517, 540, 424, 1500 and 538
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine
Estuarine
Palustrine
Lacustrine
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 4443 and 538
ANIMAL/PLANT SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS -
Diseases and Parasites: Bacterial: Cholera *1992,1802*
Helminths: Digenea *1834*
Trematodes *1675,1793*
Protozoan: Blood parasites *1990,1830*
Miscellaneous *2000*
REFERENCES FOR SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS - 1897, 1942, 1992, 1802, 1675, 1793, 1834, 1990, 1830 and 2000
COMMENTS ON SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS -
Diseases and Parasites: General reference
*1897,1942*;
POTENTIAL NATURAL VEGETATION -
065 Northern Cordgrass Prairie (Distichlis-Spartina)
101 Oak - Hickory - Pine Forest (Quercus-Carya-Pinus)
103 Southern Floodplain Forest (Quercus-Nyssa-Taxodium)
REFERENCES FOR PNV - 609 and 700
ECOREGION -
Southeastern Mixed Forest: Flat Plains
Southeastern Mixed Forest: Irregular Plains
Southeastern Mixed Forest: Plains with Hills
REFERENCES FOR ECOREGION - 609 AND 700
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
Omnivore
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 607, 424 and 1500
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Animals Larva stage
General Animals Adult stage
General Molluscs Adult stage
General Bivalve Molluscs Adult stage
General Insects Larva stage
General Insects Adult stage
General Odonata Larva stage
General Odonata Adult stage
General Coleoptera Adult stage
General Plants Leaves/Needles
General Plants Fruit/Seeds
General Tracheophyta Leaves/Needles
General Monocotyledoneae Leaves/Needles
General Hydrocharitaceae Leaves/Needles
General Poaceae Leaves/Needles
General Cirripeds Adult stage
General Crustaceans Adult stage
General Malacostraca Adult stage
General Chlorophyta Leaves/Needles
General Osteichthyes Adult stage
General Atheriniformes Adult stage
General Echinoderms Adult stage
General Sea/Heart Urchins Adult stage
General Annelids Adult stage
General Polychaetes Adult stage
Important Animals Adult stage
Important Molluscs Adult stage
Important Bivalve Molluscs Adult stage
Important See Comments; Food See Comments
Juvenile Molluscs Not Specified
Juvenile Plants Not Specified
Juvenile Coleoptera Not Specified
Juvenile Ephemeroptera Not Specified
Juvenile Odonata Not Specified
Juvenile Trichoptera Not Specified
Juvenile Hemiptera Not Specified
Adult Crustaceans Not Specified
Adult Trichoptera Not Specified
Adult Odonata Not Specified
Adult Coleoptera Not Specified
Adult Hydrocharitaceae Not Specified
Adult Insects Not Specified
Adult Osteichthyes Not Specified
Adult Osteichthyes Egg/Fetus stage
Adult Malacostraca Not Specified
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 607, 424 and 1500
REFERENCES FOR IMPORTANT FOOD - 607, 424 and 1500
REFERENCES FOR ADULT FOOD - 4940, 5771, 538, 4946 and 5554
Food Habits - 2 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
REFERENCES FOR JUVENILE FOOD - 5771 and 5554
COMMENTS ON FOOD -
9999S=blue mussels are most important food item *424*
COMMENTS ON JUVENILE FOOD -
9999S=eat six times as many insects, twice as much plant
food, and 1/3 the molluscs of the adult diet *538,554*
Food Habits - 3 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Substrate: Sand
G Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Sand
G Aquatic Habitat Zonation: Shallows with emergent vegetation [littoral zone]
G Water Level: Permanently flooded areas
G Water Depth Preference: 5-10 ft.
G Water Depth Preference: 10-25 ft.
G Water Depth Preference: 25-50 ft.
G Inland Wetlands: Inland shallow fresh marshes
G Coastal Wetlands: Coastal open fresh water
G Inland Wetlands: Inland deep fresh marshes
G Coastal Wetlands: Sounds and bays
G Aquatic/Terrestrial Ecotones: Woodland/water
G Human Association: Wildlife refuges/sanctuaries
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 540, 424, 538 and 609
REFERENCES FOR RESTING ADULT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 5554
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: adult male-head and neck black except
for white patch on forehead and a long triangular patch of white on
nape, pointing backwards; bill=a round or square black patch on side
near base, margined behind by red, above by orange, and in front and
below by a patch of white, region around nostril red, tip of bill pale
yellow; lower mandible yellow at base, rest flesh colored; eye=white to
pale bluish white; body, tail, wings, entire back, and chest black;
breast and sides=brownish black; belly is brownish black, mottled with
lighter brown; wing-lining=brownish black and silvery gray;
axillars=dusky brown; feet=bright red on outer side, orange red on inner
side, toes marked dusky; webs=black *554*; adult female-head and neck
dusky brown with vague whitish patch on back of head; crown=black to
just below eye; cheeks=with two obscure white patches, one over ear,
other between eye and base of bill; bill=blackish with black patch at
base surrounded by pale gray; less swollen than that of male; eye=brown;
tail and wings=all blackish brown; breast=mottled grayish and dusky;
belly=dusky brown; wing-lining=dusky brown and silvery brown;
axillars=dusky/brown; feet=dull yellowish to dull brownish red;
webs=dusky *554*; voice=silent bird, low guttural croak; low clear
whistle in mating season *554*; heavy bodied and less agile than black
scoter *536*; juvenile-first autumn=sexes alike; similar to adult female
but without white patch on back of head; patches on face=clear white;
breast=pale gray or whitish; first winter=males blacker,
females-browner; first spring=male with white patch on back of head,
bill develops, third autumn-adult plummage *554*; molts- partial
molt=March/April involves body feathers and tail, complete
molt=August/September when flight feathers are lost *554*;
length,male=240-256 mm, female=223-235 mm *540*; wing spread, adult
male=241 mm, adult female=226 mm, immature male=234 mm, immature
female=226 mm *424*; weight, male=635-1134 g (998 g average),
female=680-998 g (907 g average) *424*; REPRODUCTION: breeding
season=June-August *1500*; incubation period is unknown, fledgling
period is unknown *540*; eggs=5-8 (frequently 7), buff or pink-buff
*540*; egg size=61 X 43 eggs *1500*; sexual maturity=second winter of
life *540*; breeding behavior-in late winter and spring display in
groups of one female and several males *540,554*; males surround female,
female dives, all males dive after her, males reappear one by one,
female surfaces last accompanied by one male, males splash and peck one
another, female floats among them and then dives again *554*; female
sexual behavior-chin lifting and a crow-like call directed toward a
specific male, may also perform several of male courtship displays
*536*; ritualized threathening-males attack on another, female attacks
any male that comes too close *540*; male sexual behavior-male threatens
in crouched agressive posture, have underwater chases, male displays
include neck stretching, breast scooping (ritualized breast preening
with gurgling call), chest lifting (sudden rearing backwards in the
water), tail raised and head turning, and short display flights in which
the male lands and holds wings in an upward 'V' as he skids to a stop in
the water *536,540*; copulatory behavior- female remains in prone
position for up to two minutes, no preceeding mutual behavior; while
female is in prone position, male dips bill while shaking head laterally
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
and preens behind wing, also does ritualized drinking display; male
mounts and flicks wings, after dismount the male lifts chest out of
water and female flaps wings *536,540*; pair bonds reestablished each
winter and spring *538*; breeding habitat-breed in open boreal forest
*424*; select nesting areas near small freshwater ponds, lakes, or
rivers with shrubby cover or woodland in vicinity *540,424,538*; nests
in central and eastern Canada *609*; nest from Canada to western Alaska
*1500*; nest and nest site-nest is well concealed in an inacessible
spot; found under branches of pine and spruce trees or in bunch of grass
in marsh *554,540,424*; rarely found in low branches of dwarf spruces
*607*; nests well scattered over wide area, usually some distance from
water *540*; often nest in freshwater marsh *1500*; nest built in hollow
or depression in ground, well rounded cavity built of withered and
rotten weeds, 152 mm in diameter by 64 mm deep *554*; nest is flimsier
than that of the white-winged scoter which uses more grasses and
feathers *424*; nest lined with down from breast of female *554*;
BEHAVIOR: migration-130,000 winter in North America, on Atlantic
Coast-greatest numbers between Bannegat Bay, New Jersey and Norfolk,
Virginia *424*; after arriving on the coast the birds follow coastline
to favored feeding grounds; migrate 2-4 miles offshore in groups of
100-300; migrate at high altitudes due to long overland passage prior to
reaching the coast; fly at night overland; diurnal by the time they
reach the coast *424*; rises heavily from water, must face wind in order
to rise, flight is strong, swift, and well sustained once under way; in
calm weather migratory birds fly high, in windy or stormy weather birds
plod along close to waves; fly in large flocks or irregular bunches
without any regular formation; follow the coast line but sometimes pass
over capes or points; dislike flying over land; when approaching a cape
the birds follow the shore, increase elevation and fly over the cape or
turn back and settle in the water *554*; more irregular flight patterns
than either of the other two North American scoters *424*; loud humming
of wings while flying *554*; surf and white-winged scoters flock
together in groups of 50-2000 birds; 2 species found together in large
rafted up flocks in spring *538*; winters in littoral zone of Atlantic
Ocean and in coastal bays, few in salt or estuarine bays; found in
coastal sections of Chesapeake Bay rather than in bay proper *538*;
older birds migrate 1-2 weeks earlier than the younger birds *554*; in
Chesapeake Bay normal fall migration is from 10/1-4/30; population
average in Newport News, Virginia Christmas counts (1973-1977)=790
*582*; winter from Bay of Fundy to Florida *554*; move from nesting
grounds around July 22 to gather at heads of shallow bays and inlets to
molt in large groups *424*; may also winter on large lakes or deep
rivers *540*; prefers to forage on coast with sandy substrate;
concentrate at mouths of estuaries; dive to depths of 6-30 feet; stay
under 19-32 seconds *424*; feeds with flocks of other seafowl; feeds
just outside breakers; dives or scoots through crest of waves; uses feet
and wings underwater; sometimes entire flocks dive at the same time
*1500*; dives for food and escapes with an awkward splash but is very
quick and effective; dive through the breaking surf *554*; found in
immense rafts in sheltered bays and sounds on winter feeding ground
*1500*; crepuscular forager; feeds in shallows and retires to deeper
waters to spend night; some nocturnal foraging; associated with
white-winged scoter in winter; closest to black scoter in food
Life History - 2 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
utilization, however forages closer to the coast, eats less of heavier
shelled molluscs, and is more partial to plant food *538*; feeds very
little on commercial shellfish beds *538*; 88-90% of food is animal
matter; approximately 12% is plant matter *554,424*; mulluscs make up
61% of food, crustaceans make up 10%, aquatic insects make up 10% *424*;
gravel takes up 18% of total stomach volume *554*; blue mussels are the
most important food item *607,424,1500*; also eat caddisflies, dragon
flies, damsel flies, diving beetles, pondweed, eelgrass, widgeon grass,
Arctic wedge clams, Atlantic razor clams, barnacles, crabs, periwinkles,
algae, fish, killifish, sea urchins, sand dollars, other echinoterms,
marine worms, fly larvae, water boatmen, wild celery, musk grass, seeds
of sedges and bull rushes; eat very small numbers of oysters and
scallops; not a menace to shellfish industry *607,424,1500*; young and
juvenile birds eat six times as many insects, twice as much plant food,
and 1/3 the molluscs in the adult diet *538,554*; POPULATION PARAMETERS:
Audubon Christmas count (1954-1962)=28,164 average total count *538*;
750,000 breeding birds in Alaska; 2-3 million in North American *540*;
age ratio=1.26 immatures/adult; since immatures are twice as likely to
be killed by hunting, ratio is 0.6 immatures/adult in fall counts *424*;
sex ratio=2.2 male/female (68.8%) *424*; indigenous to North American
*424*; average count (1967-1969) for Chesapeake Bay in late
September/mid-October=9500 *424*; causes of mortality=2-3% mortality
from ingestion of lead shot, particularly bad since bird takes food from
bottom; flooding on breeding grounds, freezes on wintering ground,
illegal hunting, pesticides, oil spills *582*; a February 1, 1976 oil
spill in Virginia section of Chesapeake Bay killed 126 surf scoters
*582*; population estimates-wintering=765,000, breeding=251,000 *424*;
AQUATIC/TERRESTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS: parasites and diseases see Plant and
Animal Association, p.22 OTHER: hunted extensively on New England coast
in communal groups of hunters *607*; flesh is strong flavored and poor
food *607*; do not visit crop fields, cannot rise vertically from water,
awkward on land, keeps wings tightly closed until within 100 feet or
less of water; January inventory by USFWS on Bay and Maryland/Virginia
coast, 1979=21,096 (birds of all 3 species); 1980=17,506 (all 3
species); North American breeding population of all 3 species
(USFWS)=1,345,000 *582*; hard to count-small flocks, far off coast
*424*
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 536, 582, 540, 607, 424, 1500, 538, 609 and 554
Life History - 3 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Maintaining unique or special habitat features [wetlands, caves,
Beneficial Developing/maintaining freshwater marsh
Beneficial Controlling pollution [thermal, chemical, physical]
Beneficial Controlling water levels
Beneficial Regulating harvest - restricting weapons/gear use
Beneficial Other management practices [specified in comments]
Adverse Applying pesticides
REFERENCES FOR BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 582
REFERENCES FOR ADVERSE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 582
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
999(B)=010-control use of lead shot *582*; control illegal
hunting *582*
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
References
424* Bellrose, R.C. 1978. Ducks, Geese and Swans of North
America. 2nd ed.. Stackpole Books Harrisburg, Penn:540.
536* Johnsgard, P.A. 1965. Handbook of Waterfowl. Cornell Univ.
Press Ithaca, N.Y:38.
538* Johnsgard, P.A. 1975. Waterfowl of North America. Indiana
Univ. Press Bloomington:575.
540* Johnsgard, P.A. 1979. A Guide to North American Waterfowl.
Indiana Univ. Press Bloomington.
554* Kortright, F.H. 1967. The Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North
America. Stackpole Books Harrisburg, Penn:476.
582* Meanley, B. 1982. Waterfowl of the Chesapeake Bay Country.
Tidewater Publ. Centreville, Md:210.
607* Pearson, G.T. (ed.)1936. Birds of America. Garden City
Publ. Co. Garden City, N.Y:260.
609* Peterson, R.T. 1980. Birds of eastern and central North
America. 4th Ed.. Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston, Mass:384.
700* Ornithology, Virginia Society of. 1979. Virginia's
Birdlife: An Annotated Check-list. Virginia Avifauna No. 2.
Virginia Society of Ornithology Lynchburg, Va:118.
828* Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. 1983. Republication of the
lists of endangered and threatened species. Federal Register
17.11-17.12:1-24.
1500* Terres, J.K. 1982. AUDUBON SOCIETY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NORTH
AMERICAN BIRDS. Alfred A. Knopf N.Y.
1675* Bourgeois, C.E., Threlfall, W. 1982. Metazoan parasites of
three species of Scoter (Anatidae). Can. J. Zool.
60(10):2253-2257.
1793* VandeVusse, F.J. 1980. A review of the genus
Dendritobilharzia Skrjabin and Zakharow 1920 (Trematoda:
Schistosomatidae). J. Parasitol. 66(5):814-822.
1802* Montgomery, R.D., Stein, G., Jr., Stotts, V.D., Settle,
F.H. 1979. The 1978 epornitic of avian cholera on the Chesapeake
Bay. Avian Dis. 23(4):966-978.
1830* Williams, N.A., Bennett, G.F. 1980. Avian haemoproteidae.
13. The haemorproteids of the ducks and geese (Anatidae). Can.
J. Zool. 58(1):88-93.
References - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species scoter, surf
Species Id M040074
Date 26 AUG 96
1834* Scott, M.E., Manfred, E.R., McLaughlin, J.D. 1980.
Prevalence and intensity of Typhlocoelum cucumerium (Digenea) in
wild anatids of Quebec, Canada. J. Wildl. Dis. 16(1):71-75.
1897* Humphreys, P. 1978. Ducks, geese, swans (Anseriformes).
Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine Fowler, M.E. W.B. Saunders Co.
Philidelphia:183-209.
1942* Wobeser, G.A. 1981. DISEASES OF WILD WATERFOWL.:300.
1990* Bennett, G.F. 1972. Blood parasites of come birds from
Labrador. Can. J. Zool. 50:353-356.
1992* Locke, L.N., Stotts, V., Wolfhard, G. 1970. An outbreak of
fowl cholera in waterfowl on the Chesapeake Bay. J. Wildl. Dis.
6:404-407.
2000* Bozeman, F.M., Shirai, A., Humphries, J.W., Fuller, H.S.
1967. Ecology of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. II. Natural
infection of wild mammals and birds in Virginia and Maryland.
Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 16:48-59.
4443* Humburg, P.. Pers. Comm. Unpubl., Missouri Dept. Conserv.
1110 College Ave, Columbia, Mo.
4512* Robbins, M. 1977. Winter survey. Bluebird 44(1):17-28.
4513* Robbins, M.,. 1978. Fall survey. Bluebird 45(1):23-29.
4517* Robbins, M.R. 1979. Fall survey. Bluebird 46(1):21-28.
4940* Bellrose, F.C. 1980. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North
America. Stackpole Books Harrisburg, PA:540.
4946* Bent, A.C. 1925. Life Histories of N. American Wild Fowl:
Part 2. US Nat. Mus. Bull. 180:376.
5554* Cottam, C. 1939. Food habits of North American diving
ducks. USDA Tech. Bull. 643:139.
5771* Kortright, F.H. 1953. The Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North
America. Stackpole Co. & Wildlife Manage. Institute:476.
References - 2