Stejneger’s Scoter

Melanitta stejnegeri (Ridgway, 1887) (0, 1)

Photo © By Kim, Hyun-tae - https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/2668803, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=111593733

STATUS

Yenisey Basin to Kamchatka, north-east Kazakhstan and northern, western Mongolia. Monotypic.

OVERVIEW

Split from Velvet Scoter in 2005 (Sangster et al., Ibis 147: 822) with a further recent split of this species from White-winged Scoter M. deglandi making it a full species.

Identified by black rather than brown flanks (deglandi also has brown-tinged scapulars), a more obvious hook "nose" and a longer white post-ocular mark with a different bill coloration.


BBRC RECORDS

1.0) 2022 Lothian Gullane Point, adult male, 10th to 12th December, photo; same, Ferny Ness, 13th to 14th December; same, Aberlady Bay, 17th to 20th December.

(K. Gillon, Scottish Birds 43: 190-192, plates 150, 151 a & b; BOURC (2024), Ibis: in prep.).

1.1) 2023 Fife Largo Bay, adult male, 24th April to 13th May, photo; presumed same as Lothian.

(Scottish Birds 43: plates 207 a-d & 208; BOURC (2024), Ibis: in prep.).

1.2) 2023 Lothian Musselburgh, adult male, 12th August to 5th September, again, 23rd September; presumed returning individual.

(birding information services).

P). 2024 Lothian Musselburgh area, adult male, 2nd July to 7th September, photo; presumed same, Gosford Bay, adult male, 7th October; again, 4th November; presumed returning individual.

(birding information services).

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White-winged Scoter

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Black Scoter