Friday's Foto

The White-winged Scoter is one of three species of large seaducks found in offshore waters around New York City in Winter. It is the largest of the three species, the other two being Black Scoter and Surf Scoter. Feeding on mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic insects and small fish, they will sometimes dive as deep as 60 feet in search of food. While an estimated annual average of 30,000 are taken by sport hunters, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources classify their conservation status as "Least Concern". According to the "Sea Duck Joint Venture" project "about 70 percent of the Atlantic white-winged scoter population appears to winter between Long Island Sound and Virginia, with greatest numbers in Chesapeake Bay". This lone individual was seen in the bay under the Verrazano Bridge.