Surf Scoter

Published by the Smithsonian Institution between the 1920s and the 1950s, the Bent life history series of monographs provide an often colorful description of the birds of North America. Arthur Cleveland Bent was the lead author for the series. The Bent series is a great resource and often includes quotes from early American Ornithologists, including Audubon, Townsend, Wilson, Sutton and many others.

Bent Life History for the Surf Scoter – the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written.

This is probably the most abundant and certainly the most widely distributed of the three American species of scoters. It is widely and well known on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and in some of the more northern localities it is exceedingly abundant. The enormous flights of scoters, or “coots,” as they are called, which pour along our coasts in the spring and fall are made up mainly of surf scoters and white-winged scoters; every gunner knows them, and most of the residents along the New England coasts have tasted the delights of coot stew.

Spring: The abundance of the surf scoter on the spring migration is well illustrated by the following quotation from Mr. Dresser, given by J. G. Millais (1913), based on observations made at Lepreaux Lighthouse, in the Bay of Fundy:

On my arrival there on April 25 myriads of ducks were flying past, among which surf scoters were more numerous than any other species. They followed the line of the coast at a short distance from the shore, and in passing the point generally steered close in or flew over the end of the point Itself. On the 26th I spent the day among the rocks, and I never recollect seeing waterfowl in such countless numbers as I did on that day, all wending their way northward. Velvet, common, and especially surf scoters were the most numerous; but there were also many eiders, brant geese, long-tailed ducks, with a few harlequins, great northern divers, and some others. The surf scoters flew in large, compact flocks, from 8 to 10 deep. I estimated the length of the flocks by watching them as they passed certain points, the distance between which was known to me, and I found that one compact flock was at least half a mile in length, a second reaching from one point to another, distant nearly a mile and a quarter. I made several telling shots amongst them, knocking over S at one discharge and 6 and 4 at a double shot, though I was only using a light 15-bore gun. I found them, however, very hard to recover, for during the time the dog was retrieving them one or two were sure to come to and paddle off, and the sea was too rough to go out In a boat to pick up the cripples. The males proved to be far more numerous than the females, of which sex I only killed 3 during the whole day.

George H. Mackay (1891) writes:

In the spring mating begins before the northward migration commences, as I have taken eggs from females, between the 15th and 25th of April, which varied in size from a cherry stone to a robin’s egg. During this period Ihe duck when flying is always closely followed by the drake, and wherever she goes he follows; if she is shot, he continues to return to the spot until also killed. I have often on firing at a flock shot out a female; the moment she commences to fall she is followed by her mate; he remains with her, or flies off a short distance, only to return again and again until killed, regardless of previous shots fired at him. I have never seen any such devotion on the part of the female; she always uses the utmost speed in flying away from the spot, and never returns to it.

Courtship: W. Leon Dawson (1909) thus describes the courtship.

I have seen a surf scoter courtship in mid-April. Five males are devoting themselves to one female. They chase each other about viciously, but no harm seems to come of their threats; and they crowd around the female as to force a decision. She In turn chases them off with lowered head and outstretched neck and great show of displeasure. Now and then one flees in pretended fright and with great commotion, only to settle down at a dozen yards and come sidling back. If she will deign a moment’s attention, the flattered gallant dips his head and scoots lightly under the surface of the water, showering himself repeatedly with his fluttering wings. One suitor swims about dizzily, half submerged, while another rises from the water repeatedly, apparently to show the fair one how little assistance he requires from his feet in starting, a challenge some of his corpulent rivals dare not accept, I ween. I have watched them thus for half an hour, off and on, and the villains still pursue her.

Charles F. Alford (1920) describes another interesting performance, as follows:

I once watched S male surf scoters wooing one female, and a most absurd spectacle it was. Immediately the female dived, down went all her admirers in pursuit. Then after a lapse of about 40 seconds the males would reappear one by one, the female, who was always the last to rise to the surface, being Invariably accompanied by one male; but whether It was the same male on each occasion I was unable to distinguish. For a few seconds pandemonium would reIgn, the rejected suitors splashing through the water and pecking at their rivals in the most vicious manner, whilst the object of their desire floated serenely in their midst, apparently well pleased that she should be the object of so much commotion. Then she would dive again, and so the performance continued for over an hour, when they drifted out of sight

He writes again (1921): “When displaying, the male surf scoter swims rapidly to and fro, keeping head and neck erect, and at intervals dipping its beak into the water. Should several males be present, the female swims from one to the other, bowing her head, or darting occasionally at some undesirable suitor.” Maj. Allan Brooks (1920) says that he has “seen them vigorously courting in central British Columbia, well along in June; three or four males whirling about a female on the water like whirling beetles, and uttering a curious low, liquid note, like water dropping in a cavern.” Mr. Charles L. Whittle writes to me that he has seen active courtship in the fall, October 5, which he describes as follows:

The males would face the females and bow rapidly and repeatedly, even to the extent of emersing their heads, thereby spraying themselves with water, the females watching the operation with interest. Another pretty and characteristic maneuver on the part of the males was to fly away suddenly about 75 feet, their wings being raised over their backs till the tips nearly touched as they alighted on the water, and then to swim back to their mates with great velocity, only to repeat their bowing. The males chased each other away from their respective mates by lowering their heads and swimming fiercely at their offending neighbor. That the females were also parties to these courtship perforiaauces is shown by the fact that they also would similarly attack the male, paired to the other female, if lie approached too near.

Nesting: Jn spite of the abundance of this species over a wide breeding range very few naturalists have ever found its nest, and remarkably little has ever been published regarding its breeding habits. The reason for this is that the breeding grounds are usually in such inaccessible places in the marshy interior that few explorers have ever visited them; moreover, the nests are probably so widely scattered and so well hidden that few have been found. The following from Dr. E. W. Nelson (1887) shows how abundantly the surf scoter must breed in northern Alaska and yet he never found a nest. He says:

On August 23, iSIS, I visited Stewart Island, about 10 miles to the seaward of St. Michael. As I neared the island in my kyak I found the water literally black with the males of this species, which were united in an enormous flock, forming a continuous band around the outer end of the island for a distance of about 10 miles in length and from one-half to three-fourths of a mile in width. As the boat approached them those nearest began to rise heavily, by aid of wings and feet, from the glassy surface of the gently undulating but egim water: The first to rise communicated the alarm to those beyond, until as far as could be seen the water was covered with flapping wings, and the air filled with a roar like that of a cataract. The rapid vibrations produced in the air by tens of thousands of wings could be plainly felt. In all my northern experience among the waterfowl which flock there in summer I never saw any approach to the number of large birds gathered here in one flock, nor shall I soon forget the grand effect produced by this enormous body of birds as they took wing and swept out to sea in a great black cloud and settled again a mile or so away.

MacFarlane (1891) found a nulnber of nests of the surf scoter in the Anderson River region which he said were much like those of the white-winged scoter, “the only difference noted being that generally less hay and feathers was observed in the composition of its nest, while only one contained as many as 8 eggs, the usual number being from 5 to 7.” Of the white-winged scoter’s nests he said:

These were always depressions in the ground, lined with down, feathers, and dry grasses, and placed contiguous to ponds or sheets of fresh water, frequently amid clumps of small spruce or dwarf willow, and fairly well concealed from view.

In a letter to Professor Baird, dated July 16, 1864, he writes:

The surf duck is numerous, but as its nest is usually placed at a considerable distance from open water, and always well concealed underneath the lowspreading branches of a pine or spruce tree, we never get many of its eggs. The female never gets off the nest until very closely approached, and then Invariably (so far as I had an opportunity of judging) makes off to the nearest lake, where it xviii remata for hours, and thus exhaust the pattence of the findor, who is, when traveling, at least, obliged to secure the eggs without their parent.

Audubon (1840) gives an interesting account of the finding of a surf scoter’s nest in southern Labrador, which is about the only detailed account we have of the nesting habits of this common species. He writes:

For more than a week after we had anchored in the lovely harbor of Little Macatina, I bad been anxiously searching for the nest of this species. bht in vain; tbe millions that sped along the shores had no regard to my wishes. At length I found that a few pairs had remained in the neighborhood, and one morning while in the company of Captain Emery, searching for the nests of the red-breasted merganser, over a vast oozy and treacherous freshwater marsh, I suddenly started a female surf duck from her treasure. We were then about 5 miles distant from our harbor, from which our party had come in two boats, and fully 5V2 miles from the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The marsh was about 3 miles in length and so unsafe that more than once we both feared as we were crossing it that we might never reach its margin. The nest was snugly placed amid the tall leaves of a bunch of grass and raised fully 4 Inches above its roots. It was entirely composed of withered and rotten weeds, the former being circularly arranged over the latter, producing a well-rounded cavity 6 inches in diameter by 2½ in depth. The borders of this Inner cup were lined with the down of the bird, in the same manner as the eider duck’s nest, and in it lay 5 eggs, the smallest number I have ever found in any duck’s nest. They were 2fs inches in length by Ift in their greatest breadth; more equally rounded at both ends than usual; the shell perfectly smooth and of a uniform pale yellowish or cream color.

We saw no signs of breeding surf scoters in southern Labrador in 1909, and apparently the few which bred there in Audubon’s time have long since ceased to breed there regularly. On the northeast coast of Labrador, however, or rather a few miles inland, they probably still breed regularly and abundantly. We saw large numbers of males in the inner harbors and in the mouths of rivers at a number of places all along the coast in July and August, which suggested that probably the females were incubating sets of eggs or tending broods of young on the inland ponds or marshes. We hunted for nests in many suitable places, but never succeeded in finding one. Samuel Anderson, an intelligent observer and collector of birds at Hopedale, told me that surf scoters breed about the inland ponds and lakes, making their nests in the grass or under bushes close to the edge of the water. There is a Labrador set of 7 eggs in the collection of Herbert Massey, of Didsbury, England, for which he has kindly given me the data; it was taken by R. S. Duncan on Akpatok Island on June 11. 1903, and the female was shot for identification.

Eggs: The surf scoter evidently lays from 5 to 9 eggs, usually about 7. The eggs are, I think, usually recognizable by their shape, size, and color. They vary in shape from ovate to elliptical oval and are often quite pointed. The shell is smooth but not at all glossy.

The color is a very pale “cartridge buff,” or a pinkish or buffy white. Mr. Millais (1913) describes the eggs in the Massey collection as “rather pointed in shape, creamy in color.” The measurements of 33 eggs, in various collections, average 61.6 by 43 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 67.6 by 43, 59 by 46, 58 by 41, and 59 by 40.5 millimeters.

Plumages: Strangely enough there does not seem to be a single specimen of the downy young surf scoter in any American or European collection, except two half-grown young in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, collected by Francis Harper on Athabasca Lake, on July 28, 1920. Although as large as teal, these birds are still wholly downy, with no trace of appearing plumage. The smaller, a female, has the crown, down to and including the eyes, a deep glossy “clove brown” in color; the color of the black varies from “olive brown” anteriorly to “clove brown” on the rump; the sides of the head and throat are grayish white, mottled with ” clove brown”; the entire neck is pale “clove brown”; the colors of the upper parts shade off gradually into paler sides and a whitish belly. In younger birds these colors would probably be darker, brighter, and more contrasted, as they are in other species.

In the juvenal plumage the sexes are alike. The crown is very dark, blackish brown, conspicuously darker that the rest of the plumage; the upper parts are dark brown and the lower parts lighter brown and mottled; there is a whitish loral space and a smaller whitish auricular space; the tail feathers are square tipped; and there is no trace of the white nuchal patch. During the first winter, beginning sometimes as early as October but often not until February, the sexes differentiate by the growth of new black feathers in the male and brown feathers in the female; this growth begins on the head, scapulars, and flanks, whence it spreads, before spring, until it includes all the fore part of the body and much of the back, leaving only the juvenal wings, part of the back, and the central under parts, which fade out almost to white; the tail is molted during the winter and the new feathers are pointed at the tip. The white nuchal patch is acquired by the young male before spring, but not the frontal patch; the bill assumes its brilliant coloring and increases in size, but it does not reach its full perfection for at least another year.

A complete postnuptial molt takes place in August, September, or even later in young birds, which produces a plumage which is practically adult. The male acquires the white frontal patch and the female the white nuchal patch at tbis molt and the bills become more mature, but full perfection is I)lobably not attained for another year.

Young birds probably breed the following spring and at the next postnuptial molt become fully adult, when 27 or 28 months old.

Adults have a partial prenuptial molt, involving mainly the head and flanks, in March and April, and a complete molt in August. There is no true eclipse plumage and no marked seasonal change. I have a highly plumaged adult male in my collection, collected October 4, in which the white nuchal patch is merely indicated by a narrow, broken outline and the frontal patch by a short row of small white feathers.

Food: The food and feeding habits of the surf scoter are practically the same as those of the other scoters and other diving sea ducks. Their food consists almost entirely of various small mollusks, such as mussels, sea clams, scallops, and small razor clams. The large beds of the common black mussel which are so numerous and so extensive in the tidal passages of our bays and harbors or on outlying shoals are their favorite feeding grounds. Large flocks, often immense rafts, of scoters spend the winter within easy reach of such beds, which they visit daily at certain stages of the tide; although they can dive to considerable depths to obtain food if necessary. they evidently prefer to feed at moderate or shallow depths and choose the most favorable times to visit the beds which can be most easily reached. Their crops are crammed full of the small shellfish, which are gradually ground up with the help of small stones in their powerful stomachs and the soft parts are digested. A small amount of vegetable matter, such as eelgrass and algae, is often taken in with the other food, perhaps only incidentally. Dr. F. Henry Yorke (1899) says that, on the lakes of the interior, “it feeds on shellfish, especially mussels, crayfish, and fish spawn; besides a few bulbs of aquatic plants.”

Behavior: The flight of the surf scoter is not quite so heavy as that of the white-winged scoter; it is a smaller, lighter, and livelier bird on the wing, but it so closely resembles the American scoter in flight that the two can not be distinguished at any great distance. It rises heavily from the surface of the water and experiences considerable difficulty in doing so unless there is some wind, which it must face in order to rise. This necessity of rising against the wind is well understood by gunners, who take advantage of it to approach a flock of bedded birds from the windward, forcing the birds to rise toward the boat and thus come a little nearer. When once under way the flight is strong, swift, and well sustained. In calm weather or in light winds migrating birds fly high, but in windy or stormy weather they plod along close to the waves. They often fly in large flocks or irregular bunches without any attempt at regular formation, following the coast line, as a rule, but sometimes passing over capes or points to make short cuts. Mr. Mackay (1891) writes:

I have noticed during the spring migration northward in April that frequently the larger flocks of the surf scoter are led by an old drake. That the selection of such a leader is a wise precaution has frequently been brought to my notice, for on first perceiving such a flock coming toward me in the distance they would be flying close to the water; as they neared the line of boats, although still a considerable distance away, the old drake would become suspicious and commence to rise higher and higher, the flock following him, until the line of boats is passed, when the flock again descends to the water. When over the boats shots are frequently fired up at them, but so well has the distance been calculated that it is seldom a bird is shot from the flock.

As a diver the surf scoter is fully equal to the other sea ducks, depending on its diving powers in its daily pursuit of food and to escape from its enemies in emergencies. It dives with an awkward splash, but very quickly and effectively, opening its wings as it goes under, and using them in its subaqueous flight. It can remain under for a long time and swim for a long distance without coming up; it is useless to attempt to chase a slightly wounded bird. Mrs. Florence Merriam Bailey (1916) has graphically described the ability of this species to dive through the breaking surf, as follows:

It was a pretty sight when, under a gray sky, the beautiful long green rolls of surf rose and combed over and the surf scoters came in from the green swells behind to feed in front of the surf and do skillful diving stunts to escape being pounded by the white waterfalls. As the green wall ridged up over their heads they would sit unmoved, but just as the white line of foam began to appear along the crest they would dive, staying under till the surf had broken and the water was level again. When diving through the green rollers near the shore the black bodies of the scoters, paddling feet and all, showed as plainly as beetles In yellow amber.

I have never heard the surf scoter utter a sound; and Mr. Mackay (1891) says: “My experiences show that all the scoters are unusually silent and seem to depend entirely on their sight in discovering their companions. I have rarely heard the surf scoter make any sound, and then only a low, guttural croak, like the clucking of a hen; they are said to utter a low whistle.” Doctor Nelson (1887) says: “In the mating season they have a low, clear whistle for a call note, and may be readily decoyed within gunshot by imitating it from a blind.”

Fall: Referring to the fall migration, Dr. Charles W. Townsend (1905) writes:

Although scoters fly most In stormy weather and are often found quietly feeding on calm days, still they sometimes go south in great numbers even In pleasant weather. This flight is greatest in the early morning, but may be continued all day. At times flock succeeds flock as far as the eye can see off the beach at Ipswich. Occasionally four or five exclusive ones go along together, but usually the flocks are much larger, up to five or six hundred. These sweep along at times in one long line close to the water. Anon they press together in a compact and solid square. Again they spread out into a long line abreast or form a V, and at all times they rush along with irresistible energy. On reaching the angle at Annisquam where Cape Ann juts out boldly, the birds are often at a loss what to do. Sometimes they fly first one way and then another, rising higher and higher all the time, and then strike out toward the end of the cape, over which they resume their southerly course at a considerable height. Another flock will turn at the nngle without pausing and skirt the shore around the cape. Again, a flock xviii pause and fly high at the angle, and then along the coast, soon to descend to the original height above the water and round the end of the cape. All these are methods commonly adopted. Occasionally a flock xviii get discouraged on reaching the solid barrier of the cape, xviii turn back and drop into the water to talk it over. All this shows the dislike of the scoter to fly over the land.

As a result of many years of observation, Mr. Mackay (1891) says:

The old birds of the surf scoter appear about the middle of September, with a very large movement about the 20th, according to the weather, the young birds making their appenrance the last of September or first of October. I have known a considerable flight to occur on the last day of September, the wind all day being very fresh from the southwest, xvhich deflected them toward the land; such an early movement is, however, unusual. An easterly storm about the middle of August is likely to bring them along, the xvind from this direction being particularly favorable for migration; if, on the other hand, the weather is mild and warm, it is not usual to see them so early.

From this time on they continue to pass along the coast until near the end of December, the main flight coming betxveen the 8th and 20th of October, depending upon the weather, when the migration appears to be at an end. During such migration they are estimated to fly at a rate of about 100 miles an hour, but this rate is also governed by the weather. The greater part of these scoters pass around Cape Cod, as I have never heard of, nor seen, any of the immense bodies of ‘~bedded’~ foxvl north or east of it as occur south and xvest of the cape; probably because they are unable to find either the security or profusion of food north of it that they can obtain in the waters to the south. They therefore congregate here in large numbers.

Winter: In the waters lying south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the vicinity of Nantucket, Muskeget Island, and Marthas Vineyard, vast numbers of scoters spend the winter. Mr. Mackay (1891) writes:

Most of these places being inaccessible to ordinary sportsmen, the birds can live undisturbed during the late autumn, winter, and spring months, undoubtedly returning year after year to these same waters, xvhich appear to have become their winter home.

Where there are large ponds adjacent to the coast, separated from the ocean by a strip of beach, all three of the scoters xviii at times frequent them to feed, and xviii collect in considerable numbers if the supply of food is abundant; in which case they are very unwilling to leave such ponds, and, although much harassed by being shot at and driven out, continue to return until many are killed. An instance of this kind occurred the 1st of November, 1890, when some 400 scoters collected in the Hummuck Pond on Nantucket Island; they were composed entirely of the young of the surf and white-winged scoters, only one American (a female) being obtained out of about 50 birds shot In one day (November 3) by a friend and myself. On March 18, 1875, I saw on a return shooting trip from the Island of Muskeget to Nantucket a body of scoters, comprising the three varieties, which my three companions and myself estimated to contain 25,000 birds.

DISTRIBUTION
Breeding range: Northern North America. East to the Atlantic coast of Labrador and probably Newfoundland. South nearly or quite to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to James Bay (both sides), northern Manitoba (Churchill), northern Saskatchewan and Alberta (Athabasca Lake), perhaps northern British Columbia, and to southern Alaska (Sitka). West to the Bering Sea coast of Alaska (Yukon delta). North to northern Alaska (Kotzebue Sound), the barren grounds of Canada and northern Labrador. Said to have bred in northeastern Siberia (Tschuktschen Peninsula) and in Greenland (Disco Island).

Winter range: Mainly on the sea coasts. On the Atlantic coast from the Bay of Fundy southward to Florida (St. Lucie, Jupiter, etc.), most abundantly from Massachusetts to New Jersey. On the Pacific coast from the Aleutian Islands southward to Lower California (San Quintin Bay). It winters commonly on the Great Lakes and more sparingly westward to southern British Columbia (Okanogan Lake) and southward rarely to Louisiana (New Orleans).

Spring migration: Early dates of arrival: New Brunswick, April 10; Central Alberta, MeMurray, May 14; Alaska. Kowak River, May 22. Late dates of departure: Louisiana, New Orleans, March 20; Georgia, Cumberland Island, May 6; North Carolina, Pea Island, May 15; Rhode Island, May 21; Massachusetts, May 9.

Fall migration: Early dates of arrival: Massachusetts, September 4; Rhode Island, September 1; South Carolina, Mount Pleasant, October 24; Minnesota, Jackson County, October 1; Idaho, Fernan Lake, October 9; Colorado, Barr Lake, October 22; Utah, Bear River, October 24.

Casual records: Three records for Bermuda (January 8, 1849, October 7, 1854 and November 17, 1874). Said to have occurred in Jamaica. There are numerous records for Great Britain and France, three for Finland and several others for western Europe; these may come from a Siberian breeding range.

Egg dates: Arctic Canada: Twelve records, June 19 to July 8; six records, June 25 to July 1.