Common Scoter vs White-winged Scoter

Melanitta nigra compared with Melanitta fusca

Key Differences

• Common Scoter is Least Concern while White-winged Scoter is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Scoter	White-winged Scoter
Kingdom same	Animalia (동물)	Animalia (동물)
Phylum same	Chordata (척삭동물)	Chordata (척삭동물)
Class same	Aves (새)	Aves (새)
Order same	Anseriformes (기러기목)	Anseriformes (기러기목)
Family same	Anatidae	Anatidae
Genus same	Melanitta	Melanitta
Species	Melanitta nigra	Melanitta fusca

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Scoter and White-winged Scoter share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Melanitta.

Conservation Status

Common Scoter

LC — Least Concern

White-winged Scoter

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Scoter	White-winged Scoter
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Scoter

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

White-winged Scoter

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Scoter

<em>Melanitta nigra</em>, the common scoter, is a sea duck in the family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, breeding across subarctic and boreal regions of Europe and northeastern North America. This species winters primarily along coastal marine environments, with records from Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United States reflecting both breeding and wintering distributions. The common scoter typically nests near freshwater lakes and bogs in boreal and tundra habitats, migrating to sheltered coastal bays and estuaries during winter where it dives for bivalves, crustaceans, and other benthic invertebrates. Males are predominantly black with a characteristic orange-yellow knob at the base of the bill, while females are brown with pale cheek patches. <em>Melanitta nigra</em> is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, though populations have experienced declines in some regions due to changes in wintering habitat quality and food availability. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, including comprehensive data on average lifespan, body length, weight, and full dietary composition across seasons.

White-winged Scoter

흰날개검둥오리(Melanitta fusca)는 IUCN 적색목록에서 취약(VU)으로 분류됩니다. 야생에서 높은 멸종 위험에 직면해 있으며 개체수가 감소하고 서식지 압박이 증가하고 있습니다.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States