Stejneger's scoter

Stejneger's scoter (Melanitta stejnegeri), also known as the Siberian scoter, is a large sea duck. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek melas "black" and netta "duck".

Stejneger's scoter
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Melanitta
Species:
M. stejnegeri
Binomial name
Melanitta stejnegeri
(Ridgway, 1887)

Taxonomy

Stejneger's scoter was described by the American ornithologist Robert Ridgway in 1887 and given the binomial name Oidemia stejnegeri.[2] The specific name was chosen to honour the Norwegian born ornithologist Leonhard Stejneger.[3]

It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the white-winged scoter. It was suggested to be a full species, according to a new study.[4]

Description

There are a number of differing characteristics of Stejneger's scoter and the white-winged scoter. Males of the white-winged scoter have browner flanks, dark yellow coloration of most of the bill and a less tall bill knob, approaching the velvet scoter. Stejneger's scoter has a very tall knob at the base of its mostly orange-yellow bill. Females are identical in the field.[5]

Distribution

Stejneger's scoter breeds over the far north of Asia east of the Yenisey Basin. It winters further south in temperate zones, in Asia as far south as China. It forms large flocks on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together.

Behaviour and ecology

Feeding

In freshwater, this species primarily feeds on crustaceans and insects; while in saltwater areas, it feeds on molluscs and crustaceans.

References
  1. BirdLife International 2018. Melanitta stejnegeri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22724845A132655325. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22724845A132655325.en. Downloaded on 23 June 2019.
  2. Ridgway, Robert (1887). A Manual of North American Birds. Philadelphia: Lippincott. p. 112.
  3. Jobling, J.A. (2019). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "stejnegeri". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive: Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  4. "Siberian Scoter (Melanitta stejnegeri)".
  5. del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N.; Kirwan, G.M. (2019). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Siberian Scoter (Melanitta stejnegeri)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
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