White-winged Scoter

Melanitta deglandi (Bonaparte, 1850)

		male female
2017-05-09 Torma lake 2014-06-07 Lake Choibekkol, Ulaganskiy Raion, Altai Republic.	© Tatiana Semenova © Sergey Pisarevskiy

Description

Male White-winged Scoter is glossy-black; wing-speculum and under-eye spot are white. Legs are red. Eyes are grayish-white. Specific features: adult male on base of bill have large outgrowth which top-end impend forward; nostrils are rounded (Velvet Scoter has narrow long nostrils); lores feathers close to nostrils less than 5 mm. Female is dark-brownish, belly is with whitish tips of feathers, speculum is white; on lores and on ear there are two large patches, paler than upperparts. Legs are dirty-yellow, bill grayish-brown, eyes are brownish. Juveniles are similar on female. Sizes: wing 250 – 290 mm, tarsus 45 – 52 mm, bill 40-50 mm.

Distribution

Northeast of Siberia, and mountains of southern Siberia incuding Lake Baikal itself.

Biology

Inhabits mountain lakes, and banks of Lake Baikal, at 450-2300 m. Appears end May - early June. Nest is situated on the ground among stones, or on gravel banks. Clutches of 6-9 eggs in June - July. Only female incubates and cares for juveniles, recorded end July - early September. Males gather to moult on large mountain lakes. Autumn departure in October.

References

В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Сибири". Москва-Екатеринбург, Изд-во "Кабинетный ученый", 2014. "Птицы Казахстана" том 1. АН КазССР. Алма-Ата, 1960