Trauerente Bremen

The common scoter does not breed in Germany. Its breeding grounds lie in the northern European tundra and taiga zones, in Scandinavia, Iceland, the north of the British Isles, northern Russia and western Siberia, where it nests on slow-flowing waters, lakes and ponds as well as at forest edges and in the tundra. European common scoters spend most of the year at sea, however. From July onwards they move to coastal waters of the North Sea and Baltic Sea for the moult and remain there to overwinter. The Pomeranian Bay is among the internationally most important resting and wintering areas, with roughly 200,000 birds gathering at peak times.

In the field, the most common confusion is with the larger velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca). The decisive feature is the wing pattern. The common scoter shows no pale markings at all in flight, whereas the velvet scoter has a clear white speculum on the hind wing. The bill also separates the two species. The male common scoter has a mostly dark bill with a yellow patch and a small knob at the base, while the male velvet scoter has no knob and a larger orange section on the bill. Common scoters are also markedly shyer and tend to flush very quickly when boats or ships approach.

In Germany the common scoter is formally listed as a huntable species, but in nearly all federal states it is subject to a year-round closed season. As a European bird species, it is strictly protected under the EU Birds Directive and the Federal Nature Conservation Act. It is not listed on the Red List of breeding birds because it does not breed in Germany, but it is classified as a species of national responsibility under the German National Biodiversity Strategy. Across Europe, sea duck populations are under pressure. Key threats include bycatch in gillnets, competition for food from mussel fisheries, sand and gravel extraction in resting areas and disturbance from shipping. Please always refer to the currently valid state hunting law for the applicable hunting and closed seasons.