Surf Scoter
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Coastal seas (winter vagrant).
Diet: Molluscs.
Best time to spot: Male's pied head pattern.
When to look
Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. More on the season in UK winter wildfowl.
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) · Coastal seas (very rare)
- Common ScoterUncommon · Inshore sea (winter)
- Black-browed Albatross · Coastal seas (extreme vagrant)
- White-billed Diver · Coastal seas (vagrant)
- Great Northern DiverRare · Coastal seas (winter)
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, tested picks, no extra cost to you.
See Surf Scoter sightings on the map