Thevelvet scoter (Melanitta fusca) is a largesea duck, which breeds over the far north ofEurope and thePalearctic west of theYenisey basin. The genus name is derived fromAncient Greekmelas "black" andnetta "duck". The species name is from theLatinfuscus "dusky brown".
The velvet scoter wasformally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus in thetenth edition of hisSystema Naturae under thebinomial nameAnas fusca.[2][3] Linnaeus specified thetype locality as European seas but restricted this to the Swedish coast in 1761.[3][4] The velvet scoter is now one of six species placed in the genusMelanitta that was introduced in 1822 by the German zoologistFriedrich Boie.[5] The genus name combines theAncient Greekmelas meaning "black" andnetta meaning "duck". The specific epithetfusca is fromLatinfuscus meaning "dusky", "black" or "brown".[6] The species is considered to bemonotypic: nosubspecies are recognised.[5]
The velvet scoter is 51–56 cm (20–22 in) in length and has a wingspan of 90–99 cm (35–39 in). It is a relatively large sea duck with a thick neck, a long broad bill and a pointed tail. The plumage of the male is glossy black with large white wing patches and small white patches behind the eye. The bill is partly orange. The female is similar to the male but lacks the gloss on the feathers and is duller and browner.[9]
They breed in northern Europe, from Norway to theYenisey River in central Siberia and also northeastKazakhstan. Itwinters farther south intemperate zones,Europe as far south asGreat Britain, and on theBlack andCaspian Sea. Small numbers reach France and northern Spain. It forms largeflocks on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together.[8]
Lake Tabatskuri in the region ofSamtskhe–Javakheti,Georgia, holds the last breeding population of velvet scoters in the Caucasus.[10] Studies into this population in 2017–2018 found 25–35 pairs at the lake, with substantially fewer nesting. Competition for nesting locations, predation on velvet scoters by gulls, and disturbance by fishing activities were identified as contributing factors to reproductivity rates that were considered as "poor".[10]
The linednest is built on the ground close to the sea, lakes or rivers, inwoodland ortundra. The nest is built by the female and is placed in thick vegetation and is well concealed. The clutch is typically 7–9 creamy whiteeggs which measure 72 mm × 48 mm (2.8 in × 1.9 in). Beginning after the last egg is laid, they are incubated for 27–28 days by the female. The eggs are covered with down when the female is off the nest. The young areprecocial andnidifugous and feed themselves. They are cared for by the female and become independent after 30–40 days. They first breed when aged two years.[11]
The velvet scoter is listed as Vulnerable by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[1] It is one of the species to which theAgreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.[13]
^Jobling, James A. (2010).The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 246,167.ISBN978-1-4081-2501-4.
^Carboneras, C. (1992)."Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.).Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 536–628 [625].ISBN84-87334-10-5.
^abCarboneras, C.; Kirwan, G.M.; Sharpe, C.J. (2020). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) version 1.0".Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology.doi:10.2173/bow.whwsco3.01.
Cramp, Stanley, ed. (1977). "Melanitta fusca Velvet scoter".Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. I: Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 644–650.ISBN978-0-19-857358-6.
