Surf Scoter

Perhaps not as gaudy as their mates, hen Surf Scoters are nonetheless handsome ducks. Erika and I took this image on 7 February 2022 at the Billy Frank Jr National Wildlife Refuge. Each season, Surf Scoters return to the same breeding and wintering areas. Males, females, and young, however, migrate separately and may use different routes. Surf Scoters winter along both North American coasts. Although there is some overlap in their breeding ranges, western and eastern birds appear to be faithful to either the Pacific or Atlantic coasts (Anderson et al. 2020).