scoter

Duck of the genus Melanitta in the family Anatidae, order Anseriformes. The common scoter or black duck M. nigra breeds in arctic regions and winters off the coasts of temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. Its diet consists mainly of molluscs. The female is entirely brown, while the male is black. The velvet scoter M. fusca is black with an orange bill and dark red feet, and has a white patch on the wing. The female is brown with a brownish bill, and has distinctive pale patches on its head.