Melanitta americana
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The black scoter or American scoter (Melanitta americana) is a large sea duck, 43 to 49 cm (17 to 19 in) in length. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek melas "black" and netta "duck". The species name is from the Latin for "American".
Together with the common scoter M. nigra, it forms the subgenus Oidemia; the two are sometimes considered conspecific, the black scoter then being referred to as M. nigra americana. Its French name, used in parts of its Canadian range, is macreuse noire (also meaning "black scoter"). The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
This large sea duck is characterised by its bulky shape and large bill. The adult male is all black with a very bulbous bill which is mostly yellow. The female is a brown bird with pale cheeks, very similar to female common scoter. The adult female averages about 980 g (2.16 lb) and 45 cm (18 in) in length, while the adult male is on average 1,100 g (2.4 lb) and 49 cm (19 in) in length.
This species can be distinguished from other scoters, apart from common scoter, by the lack of white anywhere on the drake, and the more extensive pale areas on the female. The black scoter... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Osaka | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 7 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Nagoya | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal Biodome | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Scoter sighting in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, based on 108 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 60th most-seen of the 145 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December and January
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black Scoter in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May and July, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Scoter sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Black Scoter sightings, Cape Breton Highlands National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Acadia National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same genus: Melanitta
The closest relatives of the Black Scoter that you can see in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (genus Melanitta, Scoters) are American White-winged Scoter (about 20%) and Surf Scoter (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Scoter is recorded against all the birds logged in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (108 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
