IDENTIFY THIS SEA DUCK?

Any ornithologists out there today?

What kind of duck is paddling past my boat?



I'm more of a Central Flyway waterfowl guy, so don't know too much about these marine birds. I do recall a lecture from college zoology stating that sea ducks are the least studied waterfowl of North America.

So, can anyone identify this marine duck I spotted yesterday here in Coyote Bay? Visiting sea ducks are not that common here, except for our rafts of helldivers. (Many years ago, Punta Chivato lago was a place to hunt migrating ducks..not the marine types, though. Mostly ruddy, mallard, and teal.)

Possible choices might include: Eider(too far south I think), scoter(scooter), scaup, old squaw, fish duck, sawbill, sheldrake?

It had a typical duck bill, so the merganser/cormorant family is out.



Care to hazard a guess?

Sorry I could not get a better close-up.

So far I am going with SCOTER...more commonly called a surf scoter, I believe? I researched a little bit about this species and what I found is not good. Scientists said that while the species is not endangered it has declined 50 to 70 per cent over the past 40 years. A recent oil spill in San Francisco killed many thousands of adult scoters.

Here's a stock photo of a scoter.


Sure hope this guy/gal makes a huge family somewhere. Buena suerte pato.[/b ]

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Kinda hard to tell from the photo but you may be right. Had a lot of them in Washington. Also these. Greater Scaulp female
-----Also at the San Marcos Tierra estuary there were a lot of Sprig, teal and other fresh water types. All gone now as is the spring that kept it mostly fresh water. Today you can run a boat into both and San Marcos Tierra looks like a harbor. Wish I was around earlier when you were.

[Edited on 12-29-2009 by Russ]

Thank you, Wiles.