Scoters
Adult male white-winged scoter (Melanitta deglandi)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Subfamily:	Merginae
Genus:	Melanitta F. Boie, 1822
Type species
Anas fusca (velvet scoter) Linnaeus, 1758
Species
See text
Synonyms
Oidemia

The scoters are stocky seaducks in the genus Melanitta. The drakes are mostly black and have swollen bills, the females are brown. They breed in the far north of Europe, Asia, and North America, and winter farther south in temperate zones of those continents. They form large flocks on suitable coastal waters. These are tightly packed, and the birds tend to take off together. Their lined nests are built on the ground close to the sea, lakes or rivers, in woodland or tundra. These species dive for crustaceans and molluscs.

The genus Melanitta was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822.^[1] The type species was designated in 1838 as the velvet scoter by Thomas Campbell Eyton.^[2] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek melas meaning "black" and netta meaning "duck".^[3]

The genus contains six species:^[4]

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Distribution
	Melanitta americana	black or American scoter	north of North America in Labrador and Newfoundland to the southeast Hudson Bay
	Melanitta nigra	common scoter	north of Europe and Asia east to the Olenyok River
	Melanitta fusca	velvet scoter	eastern Turkey, Europe as far south as Great Britain, and on the Black and Caspian Sea
	Melanitta deglandi	white-winged scoter	North America
	Melanitta stejnegeri	Stejneger's scoter	far north of Asia east of the Yenisey Basin
	Melanitta perspicillata	surf scoter	North America, mostly in Northern Canada and Alaska

The presumed fossil "scoter" Melanitta ceruttii, which lived in California during the Late Pliocene, is now placed in the genus Histrionicus.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melanitta.

v t e Genera of waterfowl and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Neognathae Superorder: Galloanserae Avemetatarsalia see Avemetatarsalia Theropoda see Theropoda Maniraptora see Maniraptora Anserimorphae see below↓
Anserimorphae Anserimorphae †Conflicto †Gastornis? †Dromornithidae? †Pelagornithidae? †Vegaviidae? †Presbyornithidae Bumbalavis Headonornis? Murgonornis Presbyornis Proherodius Telmabates Teviornis Wilaru †Anachronornithidae Anachronornis Danielsavis? Anseriformes sensu stricto †Agnopterus? †Eonessa †"Headonornis"? †Naranbulagornis †Paakniwatavis †Palaeopapia †Peioa †Petropluvialis? †Proherodius? †Wunketru Anhimae †Chaunoides Anhimidae Anhima †Chainkanas Chauna Anseres Anseranatoidea †Anatalavis? Anseranatidae Anseranas †Anserpica †Eoanseranas Anatoidea †Paranyrocidae Paranyroca Anatidae See below ↓
Anatidae Anatidae †Aldabranas? †Allgoviachen †Ankonetta? †Awengkere †Bambolinetta? †Caerulonettion †Cayaoa? †Chelychelynechen? †Cousteauvia †Eonerornis? †Eutelornis? †Garganornis? †Helonetta? †Heteroanser? †Lavanttalornis †Loxornis? †Mioquerquedula? †Nogusunna? †Notochen †Proanser? †Protomelanitta? †Ptaiochen? †Selenonetta †Sharganetta? †Sinanas? †Tagayanetta †Talpanas? †Teleornis? †Thambetochen? †Wasonaka? †Romainvillinae Paracygnopterus Romainvillia Saintandrea Dendrocygninae Dendrocygna Thalassornis †Dendrocheninae Dendrochen Manuherikia Mionetta Stictonettinae Stictonetta Anserinae †Afrocygnus †Annakacygna Anser †Anserobranta †Asiavis †Bonibernicla Branta Cereopsis †"Chenopis" †Cnemiornis Coscoroba †Cygnavus Cygnus †Cygnopterus †Eremochen †Megalodytes †Paracygnus †Presbychen Tadorninae Alopochen †Australotadorna †Brantadorna Cairina †Centrornis Chloephaga Cyanochen Hymenolaimus †Kaikenia Merganetta †Miotadorna †Nannonetta Neochen Plectropterus †Pleistoanser Radjah Sarkidiornis Tachyeres Tadorna †Tamtamia Anatinae Aix Amazonetta †Anabernicula Asarcornis Biziura Callonetta †Chenoanas? Chenonetta †Dunstanetta †Eoneornis? †Lavadytis Lophonetta Malacorhynchus Marmaronetta Netta Nettapus †Pinpanetta Pteronetta †?Rhodonessa Salvadorina Speculanas Oxyurini Heteronetta Nomonyx Oxyura †Tirarinetta Mergini Bucephala †Camptorhynchus †Chendytes Clangula Histrionicus Lophodytes Melanitta Mergellus Mergus Polysticta †Shiriyanetta Somateria Anatini Anas Mareca †Matanas Sibirionetta Spatula Aythyini Aythya