MD Osprey:

Since Black Scoters are abundant and people are getting good, close looks 
at them, here's something to consider ...

The European form of Black Scoter, called the "Common Scoter," is 
unrecorded in North America, however, it is found in Iceland.

Since some authors have split these two, if found in the US, (maybe along 
the northeast coast?) it could theoretically be accepted as or later split 
into a separate species.

The most obvious difference is in the male's bill color pattern and shape. 
Here are a few images that you can compare with our North American Black 
Scoter ...

         http://www.birdguides.com/html/vidlib/species/melanitta_nigra.htm
         http://www.iww.is/pages/alife/birds/birdpages/hrafnsond.html
         http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/rare_birds/common_scoter.htm
         http://www.rothervalley.f9.co.uk/commonscoter2.htm
         http://www.surfbirds.com/media/Photos/hackscoters120701.jpg
         http://www.classicnatureprints.com/pr.Keulemans%20Birds/keul.dress.common.scoter.html
         http://www.mumm.ac.be/Assets/Pages/macreusenoire_s.jpg

If you should be so lucky to find one of these, photographic documentation 
would be very important.

... something to mull over, as we wait for the owls to arrive ... <grin>

Phil


At 07:15 01/17/2005, Stan Arnold wrote:
>We got some great close-up views of all three SCOTERs ...

==================================
Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
                 mailto:[log in to unmask]
==================================