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Surf Scoter
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Coastal seas (winter vagrant).
Diet: Molluscs.
Best time to spot: Male's pied head pattern.
When to look
Scarce or local in the UK. Timing varies by region, so check recent sightings before you travel. More on the season in UK winter wildfowl.
How rare is it?
The Surf Scoter sits in our Rare tier for the UK: scarce or very local, so most birders need a planned trip. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Velvet ScoterRare · Coastal seas (winter)
- Common Scoter (eastern)Epic · Coastal seas (very rare)
- Common ScoterUncommon · Inshore sea (winter)
- Stejneger's ScoterLegendary · Sea
- White-winged ScoterLegendary · Sea
- Long-tailed DuckRare · Coastal seas (winter)
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.
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