Surf Scoter
Melanitta perspicillata
The surf scoter reaches sexual maturity after 3 years. The adult male is on average 1,050 g (2.31 lb) and 48 cm (19 in) in length while the adult female averages about 900 g (2.0 lb) and 44 cm (17 in) in length, making this the smallest species of scoter on average. The surf scoter has a wingspan of 29.9–30.3 in (76–77 cm). The male is completely velvety black except for white patches on the forehead and the nape. It has a swollen bill, appearing orange at a distance but patterned with white, red and yellow, and a black spot near the base. Voice: Surf scoters are generally silent and their few vocalizations are poorly known. During courtship display, males perform a gurgling call and an explosive puk-puk. Females defend their young with a crowlike call. When alarmed, surf scoters will often make a sound like a "guk", somewhere between a "cluck" and a "tok", while rapidly surveying their environment or taking to flight en masse.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
White-winged Scoter
Melanitta deglandi
The white-winged scoter is one of three North American scoter species and the largest species of scoter. Females range from 950 to 1,950 g (2.09 to 4.30 lb) and 48 to 56 cm (19 to 22 in), averaging 1,180 g (2.60 lb) and 52.3 cm (20.6 in). The male ranges from 1,360 to 2,128 g (2.998 to 4.691 lb) and from 53 to 60 cm (21 to 24 in), averaging 1,380 g (3.04 lb) and 55 cm (22 in). The white-winged scoter has a wingspan of 31.5 in (80 cm). This species is characterized by its bulky shape and large bill, which is feathered at the gape unlike the blocky bill base of the surf scoter.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Surf Scoter and White-winged Scoter.