Velvet scoter

Scientific name: Melanitta fusca

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males are blackish with a white eye-patch and white wing-patch visible in flight; females are dark brown with pale facial patches. Both sexes have a slightly peaked crown and robust build typical of diving ducks.

Size and weight

Males 550–650 g, females 500–600 g; body length 51–58 cm.

Habitat

Velvet scoters breed on freshwater lakes and river systems in boreal and arctic regions, favouring areas with emergent vegetation and nearby coastal waters. In winter they occupy sheltered coastal bays, estuaries, and deeper sea lochs.

Distribution

Breeds across northern Eurasia from Scandinavia to northeastern Siberia. Winters primarily in European coastal waters and the North Sea, with populations concentrated in shallow bays and estuaries.

Diet

Primarily benthic molluscs (mussels, cockles) and crustaceans obtained by diving 2–10 m; supplements with aquatic plants and small fish in breeding season.

Behaviour

Highly social, forming large rafts in winter; predominantly diurnal with peak activity at dawn and dusk. Flightless during moult (June–August) and remain in sheltered water during this vulnerable period.

Hunting tips

Search coastal waters and bays using dawn/dusk light to spot rafts; approach from downwind or use tidal flow to drift within range. Glass thoroughly for white eye and wing-patches in dark silhouettes. Wary birds—use boat cover or shoreline concealment; head-on or low-angle approaches reduce visibility of your profile.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.